A group of New Yorkers is seeking to halt congestion pricing in a new class-action lawsuit, with the president of the coalition telling “Mornings On 1” Friday they are fearing the impact it will have on the West Side Highway and FDR Drive.
The group of 34 New Yorkers, known as New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing, held a rally Thursday outside City Hall to announce the suit, saying the city, state and federal government failed to do a proper environmental review of congestion pricing.
Susan Lee, president of the coalition, joined "Mornings On 1" Friday, stating that the Manhattan residents in the lawsuit are extremely concerned about the impact that congestion pricing will have on the air quality around the West Side Highway and FDR Drive.
“My concern is the environmental impact because traffic will be rerouted to the West Side Highway and the FDR Drive,” she said, as both of the Manhattan highways will be exempt from tolls, likely leading to increased vehicle traffic.
Despite federal approval of the congestion pricing plan's environmental review, the lawsuit seeks a more comprehensive examination.
“We're trying to get them to do a more thorough environmental impact study, which talks about mitigation factors, and we haven't seen any for the neighborhoods that are affected,” she said.
Lee also expressed concerns about the projected increase of 700 trucks on the Cross Bronx Expressway. “If that's going to be one of the things that they study, I can't imagine what will happen downtown along the West Side Highway.”