NJ Lawmakers Fighting Against Toll Congestion Pricing, Starting Jan 5

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NJ lawmakers are fighting back against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to impose a $9 toll vehicles driving into Manhattan during peak hours.

Randy Mastro, an attorney for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, filed a last-ditch attempt on Tuesday night to prevent the MTA from charging drivers a toll when they enter Manhattan below 60th Street beginning on Sunday.’

U.S. Senior Judge Leo Gordon is set to hold a hearing on New Jersey’s request on Friday (Jan 3) afternoon, according to Gothamist.

“To permit the MTA to move forward with this nation’s first-of-its-kind congestion pricing scheme before the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has even begun, let alone completed, the additional review that this Court has ordered would be fundamentally inconsistent with [federal appeals] law and the import of this Court’s decision,” wrote Mastro, who served as a deputy to then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a recent nominee of Mayor Eric Adams’ for the city’s corporation counsel before withdrawing.

New Jersey elected leader, Rep. Josh Gottheimer also vowed to keep fighting congestion pricing during a press conference on Thursday.

The state sued the MTA back in April, arguing that congestion pricing could have environmental consequences for areas in New Jersey that border New York City.

“In my view, there should be no congestion tax. But now they’re charging ahead without regard to the health of New Jersey. That makes it extra crazy,” said Gottheimer.

MTA Chief John J. McCarthy pushed back on the litigations. “Nobody in their right mind should take transportation advice from the New Jersey politicians who have woefully failed to manage transit in their state—while also endorsing higher tolls on their own roads and on Port Authority bridges and tunnels, and higher fares on NJ Transit. Endless litigation over New York’s program to improve its transit and reduce traffic is the height of hypocrisy.”

Judge Leo Gordon ordered the MTA and Federal Highway Administration for more information on the environmental impact of congestion pricing in a ruling on Monday, but declined to issue an injunction to stop the plan from going into effect on Jan. 5.

Both agencies have until mid-January to reply to the federal judge’s ask.