Health officials said New York City's decision to charge a fee to drive in parts of Manhattan could mean less asthma, heart disease and higher IQs.
The traffic congestion pricing plan, approved Monday, will charge most drivers $8 to enter a zone below 60th Street, The New York Times said. Transportation officials said the plan will cut vehicle emissions by up to 11 percent.
Ozone and soot from tailpipe emissions have been linked to higher asthma rates and lower intelligence in children, the New York Post said.
"The public health benefits are really quite clear," Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center, told the Post.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
