Paul Newell Calls for Sheldon Silver to Act on Congestion Pricing

Paul Newell today called for Sheldon Silver to stop pandering to special interests and stand up for the children in his own district by stopping his equivocating on congestion pricing.  Newell, a lifelong Downtowner and community organizer, is challenging Silver in September's Democratic Primary for New York's 64^th Assembly District.

"Sheldon Silver's continued fence-sitting on the issue of congestion pricing is endangering its possibility of passage, and with it, he is endangering the lives of countless children in the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Battery Park City.  Congestion pricing is the best hope to combat the terrible epidemic of asthma that is gripping the children of our district and children all over congested parts of New York City.  Speaker Silver's callousness to their needs is breathtaking."

Asthma is tolling a public health disaster on the children of the 64^th District.  News reports indicate that roughly 1-in-5 children enrolled in the P.S. 124 after-school program are afflicted with Asthma.  An air sample taken by the Daily News last June found that the air on Canal Street at rush hour had 500,000 particles per cubic centimeter, the highest of any sample taken by that survey. 

The 64^th Assembly District includes the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, with the Holland Tunnel just a few blocks away.  The one-way tolls on the Verrazano and the Holland Tunnel mean that tens of thousands of out-of-town trucks and private vehicles a day use Lower Manhattan as a thoroughfare to avoid tolls.  By ending this free ride, Congestion Pricing would solve this problem immediately.

Newell went on to note that while only 2.3% of Lower Manhattanites drive to work in the congestion zone, "the vast majority of Downtowners use public transportation every day.  Why is Silver so unconcerned about securing a long-term source of revenue for public transportation?"  Newell continued "This is a vital public health and quality of life issue for the overwhelming majority of Downtown families.  Sheldon Silver's absence on the issue exemplifies the broken system in Albany where a legislator's personal power alliances take precedence over the concerns of New Yorkers."

Citing Canal, Broome, Allen and Pike Streets, Division Street, West Street, Christie Street, and Delancey Street as examples of where "the levels of congestion, noise and air pollution are unacceptable" Newell asked "Of 150 assembly districts in New York, none benefits so clearly from Congestion Pricing as the 64^th.  What interests is Silver serving here instead of showing the leadership our community deserves?"

###

Daily News on Asthma zones 6/17/2007 -  http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2007/06/17/2007-06-17_citys_worst_asthma_zones_sniffed_out.html

Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the Pratt Center for Community Development on AD 64 - http://www.tstc.org/reports/cpsheets/NYCassembly_factsheet_district%2064.pdf