Staten Island looks to join New Jersey in lawsuit against congestion pricing
NEW YORK -- Staten Island plans to join New Jersey in taking legal action to stop congestion pricing.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said Sunday residents from other boroughs will be treated as tourists and not equal citizens when the plan kicks in. He's now laying the foundation to file a lawsuit.
Whether it's the Verrazano Bridge or the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Staten Island is the only borough where people have to pay a toll to leave.
"To sit here and then say to the people of Staten Island that, 'You're going to pay more and your air quality is going to be worse,' doesn't make any sense," Fossella said.
- Related Story: New Jersey lawmakers, Gov. Phil Murphy announce lawsuit against New York's congestion pricing
Some Staten Island residents told CBS New York they agree.
"It would affect me a lot. It's money coming out of my pockets," Shamel Flores said.
"You know, we have to go back and forth. As a driver, you can't go anywhere else. You have to go over the bridge," Phil DePalma added.
Fossella says Staten Island has been overlooked when it comes to capital projects by the MTA , and this will become even more of a burden for residents.
"As many you know, we don't even have a subway system. So here we are, a car-dependent community that had been left out of every major decision the MTA has laid out over the last 50-plus years. And now we are forced to pay an additional toll just for commuters," he said. "There are many people here, for example, that have to go to a hospital or bring a loved one to a hospital in the city. So that means on top of every existing toll, another $20, $40, $50 -- whatever the heck it's going to be."
- Related Story: Some New Yorkers worry congestion pricing will drive traffic into neighborhood streets
On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy and other New Jersey officials announced a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Department of Transportation over the plan.
Drivers heading into Manhattan's Central Business District below 60th Street would have to pay a toll anywhere between $9 and $23.
"This is about right and wrong. This is about fundamental fairness. This is about respecting your neighbors. And most importantly, this lawsuit is about environmental protection -- protecting every community that is adversely affected," said the attorney filing the suit, Randy Mastro.
- Related Story: Sources: Traffic Mobility Review Board considering congestion pricing discounts at 4 major tunnels
Fossella said his residents must also be protected.
"You'd have to be a first class idiot to support any plan that intentionally hurts your neighbors and your constituents both from a financial and environmental perspective. And if anybody believes that the cost will remain at $23, or whatever it is, we have a bridge back there for sale if you want it," he said.
An MTA spokesperson shared the following statement with CBS New York:
"This lawsuit is baseless. The 4,000-page Environmental Assessment performed by MTA, New York State DOT and New York City DOT was supervised at every stage and specifically 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. As for the adequacy of the outreach process and the contention that there wasn't enough opportunity for New Jersey residents and officials to be heard – not only were there six public hearings lasting a total of 38 hours, there were 19 outreach sessions, in which dozens of officials from New Jersey agencies participated. We're confident the federal approval – and the entire process – will stand up to scrutiny."
Fossella said the borough hasn't decided who it will be suing, adding he and others will sit down with their attorneys and other elected officials and come up with a plan.