Efforts to reduce pollution in one of New York City’s most burdened neighborhoods are underway, funded in part by congestion pricing revenue.

At Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, officials are targeting a major source of emissions: transport refrigeration units, or TRUs, which are used to keep produce cold. About 1,000 of the diesel-powered units operate at the market, often idling for hours and contributing to poor air quality.

“A TRU runs on high emitting diesel fuel. It’s often sits idle, running for hours and hours and concentrating the pollution in a single place. And so, if you live in ‘Asthma Alley,’ surrounded by a thousand TRUs, you are breathing some of the most polluted air in New York City,” said Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres.

What You Need To Know

At Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, officials are targeting a major source of emissions: transport refrigeration units, or TRUs, which are used to keep produce cold

The city plans to replace the diesel-powered refrigeration units using $15 million from congestion pricing toll revenue

So far, 20 units have been replaced, with 75 more on the way

Additional mitigation efforts are also planned, including installing air filtration systems in local schools, expanding green space and building an asthma treatment center

The state has set aside $15 million from congestion pricing toll revenue to replace the units with cleaner diesel, electric or hybrid models. The initiative is hoping to improve air quality in the south Bronx, which has the highest asthma hospitalization rates in the city.

“Replacing just one of these units avoids the particulate matter, the emissions, of 330 truck trips per day on the Cross Bronx Expressway. Times 20, which is what we’ve already done, that’s enough emission reduction to be the equivalent of removing 6,000 trucks per day from the Cross Bronx Expressway. That’s more than a third of the daily truck traffic on the Cross Bronx,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

So far, 20 units have been replaced, with 75 more on the way. Officials say the goal is to eventually replace all 1,000 units at the market.

The funding was part of the environmental commitments tied to congestion pricing, intended to offset any potential increase in traffic in neighborhoods outside the tolling zone. However, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says traffic has not increased in areas like the South Bronx.

Still, the agency is moving forward with the upgrades, offering vendors incentives of more than $37,000 per unit to encourage participation.

“It’s voluntary, were doing a lot of outreach. In the long run, it saves a lot of money. So, it’s really about getting in the market and talking to folks,” said the city’s Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn.

Additional mitigation efforts are also planned, including installing air filtration systems in local schools, expanding green space and building an asthma treatment center in the Hunts Point area.