South Bronx residents monitor air quality amidst congestion pricing
Pix 11
By: Greg Mocker
People are tracking the impact of congestion pricing across the region. But conditions on the roads and the rails aren’t the only factors to watch.
Some neighbors in the South Bronx are doing their own monitoring of air quality. The Bronx has higher rates of asthma compared to other parts of the city. In the federal review of congestion pricing, air quality, and health concerns were identified in the Bronx.
They worry congestion pricing will shift vehicles their way. South Bronx Unite is a social justice community group. Air quality and health have been at the top of the list of concerns for years.Bell is a nurse and Bronx resident.
“A lot of children and adults are having asthma attacks and lung disease diseases that you never even heard of,” she said.
South Bronx Unite, with a grant from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, installed 40 air quality monitors around the borough in 2022. Twenty more are going up now. Columbia University is a partner on the project.
