N.J. lawmakers praise pause to NYC's congestion pricing plan. Here's what they're saying.
NEW YORK - New Jersey lawmakers are hailing the indefinite pause on congestion pricing in New York City.
Lawmakers in New Jersey have long derided New York City's congestion pricing plan as a tax on commuters coming into Manhattan from the Garden State. They've filed lawsuits to try and stop it, arguing - among other things - that the plan offered no mitigation benefits for at least 13 counties in New Jersey they say will be negatively impacted by changing traffic patterns.
"I want to thank Governor Hochul for pausing the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan's Central Business District. Although we have had a difference of opinion with our colleagues in New York on congestion pricing implementation, we have always had a shared vision for growing our regional economy, investing in infrastructure, protecting our environment, and creating good-paying jobs on both sides of the Hudson River. We fully embrace the notion that the success of Manhattan is inextricably linked to the prosperity of the entire Tri-State Area," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. "Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams have been strong, collaborative governing partners and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them for the benefit of all of our residents."
"After a five year fight, New York appears to have done right by hardworking Jersey families and backed off their outrageous Congestion Tax," Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a staunch opponent of the plan, said. "The Congestion Tax would have caused more traffic and cancer-causing pollution for families in northern Jersey and the outer boroughs."
"We threw the kitchen sink at New York - and then some - and got it done," Gottheimer said.
Gottheimer and Murphy are now vowing to work with their counterparts in New York to invest in transportation.
Stopping congestion pricing is one thing New Jersey Republicans and Democrats could agree on.
"I think politics played a big role in it, as well as the fact you had two Democratic governors who were at war over a border," Sen. Jon Bramnick said. "Now, if you want to play with the border down south, that's one thing, down in Mexico. Don't play with the border between two states because the pushback's going to be heavy."
When asked about backdoor conversations that may have centered on congestion pricing affecting House races in the fall, Gottheimer said, "I wasn't involved in those discussions and that is a question for them I'll you what I've heard from families in jersey and families in New York everywhere i go, is they are raising the alarm."
Why Gov. Kathy Hochul is delaying congestion pricing
"After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risks too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday. "For that reason, I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause the program."
Manhattan congestion pricing map
The Congestion Relief Zone extends from the southern tip of Manhattan up to 60th Street. It encompasses all three major commuter tunnels on Manhattan's West Side - the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, and Lincoln Tunnel. On the East Side, the Queens Midtown Tunnel, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Queensboro Bridge are all part of the zone.
The FDR Drive and West Side Highway are excluded from the zone, so drivers who use those roads and stay off the city grid would also be excluded. If they turn off of them into the zone, they would be charged.
