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top story


NEW JERSEY LEADERS RIP FEDERAL APPROVAL OF ‘CASH GRAB’ CONGESTION PLAN


Cars pass through toll booths to use the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee,
N.J., Friday, July 8, 2022. The busy bridge connecting New Jersey and New York
City is moving to cashless tolls. Beginning July 10, drivers paying cash tolls
will have their license plates scanned and will be billed by mail. (AP
Photo/Seth Wenig) Seth Wenig/AP Photo▲


By Christian Wade | The Center Square contributor
42 min ago

(The Center Square) — Members of New Jersey's congressional delegation are
"outraged" over a decision by the Biden administration to green-light a
congestion pricing plan that will increase tolls for commuters driving into New
York City.

In a joint statement, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ, and other lawmakers said there
is "no excuse" for the federal government's "failure to require New York to
meaningfully engage with stakeholders across New Jersey and to not adequately
consult the New Jersey congressional delegation and other elected officials."

"Despite significant outreach from multiple members of the delegation, including
letters to the Department of Transportation calling for a comprehensive study of
how this Congestion Tax shakedown will impact our state’s environment and hurt
New Jersey families and small business owners, the agency chose a misguided and
unacceptable path forward," they wrote.



Under the congestion pricing plan, New York's Metropolitan Transportation
Authority would be authorized to charge some motorists a fee ranging from $9 to
$23 to drive into Manhattan’s central business district.

New York officials say the new fee will bring in about $1 billion annually that
the agency will use as leverage to borrow more money for its $51 billion
multi-year capital plan. The transit agency faces a potential $2.6 billion
budget deficit in 2025 and is seeking more state funding to help reduce its
projected shortfalls.

In May, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a "letter of legal
sufficiency" for the project, signaling a review process leading to final
federal approval.

Both New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul have defended the new
pricing plan, approved by the state Legislature in 2019, saying it will help
reduce the region's traffic congestion and blunt the impact of climate change by
reducing tailpipe pollution.



"Congestion pricing will reduce traffic in our crowded downtown, improve air
quality and provide critical resources to the MTA," Hochul said in a statement.
"With the green light from the federal government, we look forward to moving
ahead with the implementation of this program."

But New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has been among the most vocal critics of the
proposal, urging federal transportation officials not to approve the project.

The MTA has also announced concessions to ease criticism of the plan, including
a 25% discount for low-income commuters, or those making $50,000 annually,
on-peak and off-peak tolls if they make at least 10 trips to the zone.

But New Jersey lawmakers, including Sen. Bob Menedez, D-NJ, are demanding that
New Jersey drivers entering Manhattan using the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and
George Washington Bridge be exempted from the new tolling charges.



"This process has been mired by a lack of transparency and a refusal to properly
include all affected stakeholders," they said. "We will not stop fighting until
we defeat this plan and ensure New York is not allowed to balance its budget on
the backs of hard-working New Jersey families. That’s a Jersey promise."

View on TheCenterSquare.com


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