NJ Lawmakers Say NYC Congestion Pricing Is An ‘Unfair Hit’

NEW JERSEY — An “unfair hit” is headed New Jersey’s way, courtesy of New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan, a group of Garden State lawmakers say.

The program aims to raise revenue and reduce traffic in downtown Manhattan by charging drivers between $9 and $23 to drive south of 60th Street. The plan also aims to reduce both air pollution and the 102 hours per year lost by each driver due to intense traffic.

The city’s congestion pricing plan has seen stiff opposition from some lawmakers in New Jersey, however.

On Thursday, a group of Congress members from the Garden State – including Democrats and Republicans – called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to cancel the plan, saying that it will “impose significant new costs” on New Jersey commuters and families. Read the full letter here.

The signees included Reps. Thomas Kean Jr., Frank Pallone Jr., Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Mikie Sherrill, Jeff Van Drew and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers wrote:

“New York's congestion pricing plan is currently an unfair hit against New Jersey families that will double tax the almost 400,000 New Jersey residents who work in New York City and contribute immensely to the city’s economy. New Jersey commuters already pay a $17 toll when they cross the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, almost double the toll paid on the bridges connecting Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. As a result, this congestion price would uniquely double tax New Jerseyans and result in our constituents paying upwards of $40 just to get to work every day. At a time when families across the Northeast are already dealing with rising prices and high costs of living, this added tax on simply getting to work is unacceptable.”

The lawmakers continued:

“Even worse, the congestion pricing plan will tax New Jerseyans while simultaneously providing no revenue for our public transit network. We agree that additional funding for passenger rail projects and maintenance is crucial to addressing congestion and pollution in our communities, which makes the plan’s omission of NJ Transit from any revenue sharing difficult to explain. Instead, revenue from the congestion pricing will exclusively go towards New York’s MTA, even though a significant part of that revenue will come from New Jersey commuters.”

“We look forward to staying engaged on this issue… and urge you to work with Gov. Phil Murphy and NJ Transit on new strategies to combat congestion and emissions in our communities that don’t involve increasing the cost of living for families,” the legislators added.

The debate over congestion pricing has been raging since 2019 when the state first passed the plan as a means to raise an estimated $1 billion per year for MTA capital improvements.

Congestion pricing supporters have argued that it's time for cars to take a backseat when it comes to prioritizing transit.

“Car drivers are accustomed, they have been for 100 years, to receive this enormous subsidy of public space without really paying for it,” a protester said at a March rally in New York City. Read More: Congestion Pricing Protests Collide On The Upper East Side

"Anyone serious about the environment and reducing gridlock understands that congestion pricing is good for the environment, good for getting fire trucks, buses and delivery vehicles through the city, and good for the 90% of people who depend on mass transit," MTA spokesperson John McCarthy told Gothamist in January.

But others, including Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., have said that it’s not fair for New Jersey residents to pick up the bulk of the burden.

“Residing in Essex County is attractive for people who commute to work in New York City because of our close proximity,” DiVincenzo said this week, supporting the letter from the New Jersey Congress members.

“Although there are many mass transportation options available, some who conduct their business in the city still rely on driving cars or trucks at what are considered peak times,” DiVincenzo added. “Penalizing Essex County residents with significantly higher tolls is unfair and would be detrimental to the vitality of our municipalities.”

• See Related: NJ Tax Credit, Defunding MTA Proposed To Combat NY's Congestion Fees
• See Related: End Of An Era For DeCamp Bus: NJ Company Stopping NYC Routes

Final implementation will require approval from the federal government. The plan was initially supposed to go into effect in 2021, but was delayed by the Federal Department of Transportation.

On Friday, the Federal Highway Administration provided the Metropolitan Transit Authority with a Letter of Legal Sufficiency, an essential next step in moving New York City’s landmark congestion pricing program towards implementation.

The letter signals that the MTA has provided the documentation and analysis required for the federal approval of congestion pricing. The FHWA is now poised to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, the federal environmental approval which will allow the state to move forward with congestion pricing program design and adoption, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

According to Tom Wright, president and CEO of the Regional Plan Association, congestion pricing is "essential" to the health and well-being of the Tri-State region.

"Today's news that the Federal Highway Administration sent a Letter of Legal Sufficiency to the MTA is a great step for reducing congestion, improving the region's environment and supporting transit," Wright said.

But Friday's news prompted a critical statement from Gov. Phil Murphy, who wrote:

“Since day one, I’ve stood against the disproportionate negative impacts of congestion pricing on New Jerseyans – a greater financial burden on New Jersey commuters, double tolling, toll shopping, a lack of revenue for NJ Transit, outsized environmental burdens on certain North Jersey communities, and financial impacts on the Port Authority’s capital budget. Everyone in the region deserves access to more reliable mass transit, but placing an unjustified financial burden on the backs of hardworking New Jersey commuters is wrong. Simply put, it is a money grab.”

“As a conceptual matter, I support congestion pricing, but it must be structured in a way that is fair to all sides,” Murphy wrote. “Until New York’s congestion pricing plan is fixed, I will keep working closely with partners from both states and both sides of the aisle, including Congressman Gottheimer and our congressional delegation, to halt implementation of this misguided tolling plan. Our Administration is closely assessing all legal options.”

This article includes reporting by Josh Bakan and Peter Senzamici, Patch staff

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