Attorney David Schwartz, Gothan Government Relations Talking About NYC Residents Suing To Stop Congestion Pricing ‪@CBSNewYork‬

0:00
residents on the Lower East Side are now
0:02
fil filing a class action lawsuit to
0:05
stop congestion pricing they are the
0:07
latest group to claim the MTA is
0:09
disregarding the environmental impact on
0:11
their Community CBS 2 political reporter
0:14
Marsha Kramer here now with more on this
0:16
Mar Maurice and Christine first it was
0:18
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy followed
0:20
by the mayor of Fort Lee and the burrow
0:22
president of Staten Island now is people
0:25
who live on the low E side saying
0:26
congestion pricing will adversely impact
0:29
their lives and they are demanding a
0:31
full scale a fullscale environmental
0:33
impact study before the tolling plan
0:36
goes into effect but I feel that my
0:38
voice and the voices of my neighborhood
0:40
have been ignored and dismissed lowy
0:42
side resident Trevor Holland one of many
0:44
sign caring protesters worrying about
0:47
the increase in pollution caused by
0:49
congestion pricing which will charge
0:51
drivers steep fees to drive into
0:52
Manhattan Central business district
0:54
below 60th stre the ntaa lies when it
0:57
says that congestion pricing will have a
0:59
positive impact on the central business
1:00
district and that it will help the
1:02
environment their own environmental
1:04
report shows that congestion pricing
1:06
will actually increase pollutants In
1:08
This Very Community the residents joined
1:11
by numerous public officials in filing a
1:13
class action suit several lawmakers
1:16
represent so-called Transit deserts
1:18
where residents are forced to drive due
1:20
to the lack of mass transit options why
1:22
isn't there an environmental impact
1:25
study on such a it's going to push uh
1:29
obvious pollution around to other
1:31
neighborhoods why not you know why
1:34
because they might not like the results
1:36
the MTA they wouldn't like the results
1:38
they did an environmental assessment
1:40
study which is essentially a rubber
1:43
stamp that's how serious the MTA is and
1:46
with congestion pricing set to raise a
1:47
billion dollars a year for Capital
1:49
Improvements others questioned the
1:51
ability of the agency to spend money
1:53
wisely simply throwing more and more
1:55
money down the black hole of of a broken
1:59
system is is not the answer the MTA
2:01
defended his 4,000 page environmental
2:03
assessment and insisted that the
2:05
environmental concerns will be
2:07
re-evaluated for the adopted tolling
2:09
structure before tolling commences it's
2:12
time to move forward and deal with the
2:13
congestion that's clogging roads and
2:15
slowing down emergency vehicles buses
2:17
and commerce while also polluting the
2:19
airway breed said the mta's John
2:21
McCarthy legal experts said residents
2:24
may have a good case for a re-evaluation
2:26
of the policy there's a lot of moving
2:29
Parts here but certainly the the court
2:31
is going to be given enough to chew on
2:34
that that they need to you know they
2:36
need to at least uh put the mta's feet
2:38
to the fire about this environmental
2:42
impact now the MTA hopes to begin
2:44
congestion pricing in the spring but
2:46
with so many different suits it's
2:48
unclear whether they actually will be
2:50
able to Christine Maurice which sounds
2:52
like we're a longer way off at this
2:54
moment right lot people are hoping it
2:56
right it could be thanks Mara Mara