WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15) tonight issued the following statement upon the federal government’s tentative approval of the Final Environmental Assessment for the first-in the-nation congestion pricing plan in New York City’s Central Business District:

“From the moment I entered public office a decade ago, I have championed congestion pricing in the hopes of curbing congestion, improving air quality, reducing asthma rates, and stabilizing the MTA – the lifeblood of America’s largest city.

At the same time, I have made it known that New York’s congestion pricing plan must recognize and respect the environmental and public health needs of the Bronx. Often overlooked, the Bronx must never be marginalized as nothing more than a dumping ground for Manhattan’s diesel truck traffic.

I am grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber for listening to the concerns of my community and submitting a final environmental assessment that upholds the principles of environmental justice for the benefit of the Bronx. I am equally grateful to the Biden Administration for granting the assessment the approval it rightly deserves. A debt of gratitude is also owed to Mayor Eric Adams, who has been an indispensable partner in advocating for an environmentally just congestion pricing plan.

Together, federal, state, and city governments are joining forces to begin reversing the long and ugly history of environmental racism in the South Bronx and beyond.”

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