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♪ SOLEDAD: TRAFFIC HAS LONG BEEN A NIGHTMARE IN OUR LARGEST CITIES. AND NOW THERE IS A GROWING AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AIR POLLUTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH. NEW YORK COULD BECOME THE FIRST CITY TO TAMP DOWN ON TRAFFIC AND EMISSIONS BY TAXING VEHICLES COMING IN AND OUT OF MANHATTAN’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE PLAN BY THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK IS CALLED CONGESTION PRICING. THE IDEA IS TO REDUCE GRIDLOCK BY MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO DRIVE THROUGH AREAS OF MANHATTAN. BUT, PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN SURROUNDING AREAS, LIKE THE BRONX, SAY THE PLAN WILL DIVERT MORE TRAFFIC TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKE EXISTING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS WORSE. AS PART OF OUR SERIES, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SALESFORCE.ORG, WE LOOK AT THE PLAN’S POTENTIAL IMPACTS. EVA: WHAT DO I LOVE ABOUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? I KNOW EVERYONE, EVERYONE KNOWS MS. EVA. SOLEDAD: IN HER 46 YEARS AS A DAYCARE PROVIDER, THE WELL-BEING OF THE CHILDREN IN THE SOUTH BRONX HAS ALWAYS BEEN MS. EVA’S PRIORITY. SO WHO ARE THESE KIDS? EVA: ALL MY CHILDREN FROM MY DAYCARE. SOLEDAD: OH MY GOSH. THAT’S A LOT OF KIDS, AND THEY’RE SO CUTE. AND THIS IS ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS? LOOKS LIKE SHE’S GOT AN INHALER. EVA: YES, SHE WAS ONE OF MY GIRLS WITH ASTHMA. SOLEDAD: AND THIS IS A COMMUNITY WHERE ACTUALLY THE RATES OF UH, ASTHMA -- EVA: ASTHMA IS VERY HIGH. AND IT WAS, YES, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN VERY HIGH. SOLEDAD: NICKNAMED "ASTHMA ALLEY," HERE THE CHRONIC BREATHING PROBLEMS FOR CHILDREN ARE WELL DOCUMENTED. THAT’S BECAUSE THE SOUTH BRONX IS CRISS-CROSSED BY THREE MAJOR HIGHWAYS, INDUSTRIAL PARKS, POWER GENERATION FACILITIES AND WASTE TRANSFER STATIONS. ALL OF WHICH NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE AIR QUALITY AND MAKE A CHILD GROWING UP HERE TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR ASTHMA THAN A CHILD ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES. CONGRESSMAN RITCHIE TORRES: AS A CHILD, I FOUND MYSELF MOSTLY IN THREE PLACES -- AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, AND IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. SOLEDAD: FOR CONGRESSMAN RITCHIE TORRES, WHO REPRESENTS HIS HOMETOWN OF THE SOUTH BRONX IN CONGRESS, THE ISSUE OF AIR POLLUTION ISN’T JUST POLITICAL, IT’S PERSONAL. CONGRESSMAN RITCHIE TORRES: FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH BRONX, THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS NO ABSTRACTION. IT’S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. THESE ARE AIR POLLUTANTS THAT ARE SO SMALL THAT THEY CAN EASILY INVADE YOUR LUNGS INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM AND RAISE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, RESPIRATORY DISEASE, LUNG DISEASE, STROKES. SOLEDAD: CONGRESSMAN TORRES IS PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE MTA’S PLAN TO REDUCE TRAFFIC IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. HE SAYS TRUCKING COMPANIES WILL TRY TO AVOID THE NEW FEES BY DRIVING THROUGH THE BRONX INSTEAD. ACCORDING TO MTA ESTIMATES, THAT COULD REROUTE AS MANY AS 700 COMMERCIAL TRUCKS EVERY DAY. MYCHAL: CAN WE ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO TAKE ON ONE MORE TRUCK? SOLEDAD: MYCHAL JOHNSON IS CO-FOUNDER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GROUP SOUTH BRONX UNITE. HE TOOK US ON THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR HE DID WITH MTA EXECUTIVES TO SHARE HIS CONCERNS OVER THEIR PROPOSED CONGESTION PRICING PLAN. WHAT WAS THE REACTION FROM FOLKS FROM THE MTA? WHAT DID YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE FROM THIS TOUR? MYCHAL: I WANT THEM TO FEEL WHAT WE FEEL EVERY DAY. SO, WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT ADDING MORE TRAFFIC HERE TO REDUCE TRAFFIC IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. WHAT WILL THAT MEAN TO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE? SOLEDAD: DO YOU THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONGESTION PRICING? MYCHAL: IT WOULD SEEM THERE WOULD BE A NATURAL CORRELATION BETWEEN IF WE REDUCE CONGESTION, REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS. BUT, IF YOU’RE NOT REDUCING TRUCKS, YOU’RE JUST PUTTING THEM IN DIFFERENT PLACES, YOU’RE STILL EMITTING THE SAME CARBON. WE SHOULD BE THE PLACE, LIKE I TOLD THE MTA, REDUCE CONGESTION HERE FIRST. SOLEDAD: BUT SOME BRONXITES SAY THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL WINDFALL FOR THE CITY MAKES CONGESTION PRICING WORTH PURSUING IN SPITE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. EMERITA: IN TERMS OF CONGESTION PRICING, THAT, THAT BILLION DOLLARS, IT’S GONNA GO TO THE MTA SYSTEM ON THE WHOLE. THE MAJORITY OF NEW YORKERS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PLAN. BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF NEW YORKERS USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET AROUND IN NEW YORK CITY. SOLEDAD: EMERITA TORRES IS VICE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY AT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK WHICH CONDUCTED STUDIES ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CONGESTION PRICING. EMERITA: THERE ARE GONNA BE CONSEQUENCES. UM, BUT IT’S OUR, IT’S OUR JOBS BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, TO MITIGATE THOSE CONSEQUENCES. WHETHER IT’S A PARK OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD DECREASE CONGESTION. SO, IT’S A MATTER OF POLITICAL WILL. POLICY CHOICES THAT WE CAN MAKE TODAY. SOLEDAD: OH, THIS IS INTERESTING. COMMUNITY LEADERS CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR PLANS TO RELIEVE POLLUTION. REROUTING COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND LOCAL YOUNGSTERS WHO CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH ASTHMA. SO, THIS IS FROM 20 YEARS AGO. BUT THESE ARE ALL THE SAME ISSUES. EVA: YES. SOLEDAD: THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW WITH THE CONGESTION PRICING. EVA: EXACTLY. EXACTLY. SOLEDAD: INCREASING ASTHMA IN A POPULATION THAT FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THAT. EVA: RIGHT, EXACTLY. WHEN IS IT GONNA END? WILL IT END? SOLEDAD: THE CONGESTION PRICING PLAN WILL USE ELECTRONIC TOLLING TO CHARGE VEHICLES ENTERING DESIGNATED CITY AREAS DURING PEAK COMMUTING HOURS. THE CITY INTENDS TO START THE PROGRAM IN SPRING OF 202