Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella on Sunday morning announced that he plans to file a lawsuit against the MTA for congestion pricing.
His announcement follows a federal lawsuit filed by New Jersey, which accused the federal government of violating environmental laws by moving forward with the plan.
“We hope that New Jersey is successful in its efforts. Regardless, we plan to bring our own lawsuit,” Fossella said at a press conference in Staten Island on Sunday morning.
The congestion pricing toll would cost drivers anywhere from $9 to $23 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. The plan is expected to generate $15 billion over four years for MTA improvements.
“As many of you know, we don’t even have a subway system. So here we are, a car-dependent community that has been left out of every major decision the MTA laid out over the last 50-plus years. And now we are forced to pay an additional toll,” Fossella said.
As it currently stands, people on the island need to pay at least one toll to get to Manhattan.
Any added cost, plus environmental impacts resulting from the plan, are concerning to Fossella.
“In its own report, the federal government states that the air quality on Staten Island will get worse as a result of this plan. We believe congestion pricing is merely a fancy way of calling this plan what it really is. It is a driving tax,” Fossella said.
Plans to install the tolling mechanisms have already begun in Manhattan. Meanwhile, the tolls are expected to begin in spring of next year.
“I’m really not in favor of it. I think it’s bad enough we live on Staten Island and need a bridge to get off. And we pay money no matter which way we go,” said Maureen Becker, a Staten Island resident.
The MTA on Sunday responded to Fossella’s announcement by referring back to a statement the agency released after New Jersey filed its lawsuit on Friday.
Friday’s statement called New Jersey’s lawsuit “baseless," adding that an environmental assessment performed by the MTA, New York state and the city’s Department of Transportation was supervised and approved by the Biden administration.
"Contrary to any claim that there was insufficient study, the EA actually covered every conceivable potential traffic, air quality, social and economic effect, and also reviewed and responded to more than 80,000 comments and submissions," the statement added.