‘Enough is enough’; lawsuit against NYC congestion pricing filed by UFT, Staten Island Borough President

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the implementation of congestion pricing expected in the coming months, critics of the controversial program are continuing to use every tool in their arsenal in an attempt to prevent the MTA from charging drivers $15 to enter Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD).

On Thursday, Borough President Vito Fossella and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew filed a federal lawsuit against the MTA, U.S. Department of Transportation and various other involved entities aiming to stop the implementation of New York City’s congestion pricing program, which is scheduled to take effect this spring.

State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), who plans to sign on as a plaintiff in the lawsuit and is currently pushing a bill that would fully exempt borough residents from being tolled on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge should congestion pricing be implemented, said the program poses a threat to both the financial and physical wellbeing of Staten Islanders.

“Not only does congestion pricing place an unfair financial burden on my constituents, it also presents a significant health threat to the North Shore of Staten Island - causing heightened traffic pollution and detrimental effects to our air quality. I am proud to support Borough President Vito Fossella and UFT in this lawsuit to stop this from being implemented on the backs of our hardworking constituents,” said Scarcella-Spanton.

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