FORT LEE, New Jersey (WKeynoteUSA) — New Jersey political leaders are applauding the decision to delay New York City’s congestion pricing plan.
“After a five-year fight, New York appears to have done right by Jersey’s working families and backed away from its outrageous congestion tax,” said U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).
Eyewitness News first broke the story about the delay, citing an official who said the rollout would not begin on June 30 as originally planned.
Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich said on Eyewitness News Mornings @ 10 that delaying the plan is “a big step in the right direction.”
Fort Lee and the state of New Jersey have sued to target the plan on environmental grounds.
In April, a federal judge in Newark heard oral arguments in the lawsuit, one of several seeking to stop the new $15 toll on passenger cars entering the heart of Manhattan.
Under the now-delayed plan, vehicles driving south of 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays would be charged, but the New Jersey lawsuit says that when the Federal Highway Administration approved it, it “failed to adequately consider the impacts.” A significant financial burden is being placed on New Jerseyans and the New Jersey transportation system.
“In Fort Lee we’re not trying to stop the MTA from operating,” Sokolich said. “We’re just trying to make sure there’s justice in the process.
The Mornings @ 10 team speaks with Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich about the postponement of congestion pricing.
Previously, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the lawsuit seeks a full federal impact study on the potential environmental effects of congestion pricing.
“You’re not eliminating pollution, you’re just moving it from Manhattan to New Jersey,” Murphy told reporters Tuesday. “And they are also charging our travelers an exorbitant fee.”
More than 400,000 New Jersey residents commute to Manhattan every day and will pay millions of dollars to the MTA to improve public transportation.
“The bottom line is that New Jersey will bear much of the burden of this congestion pricing plan – in terms of its environmental, financial and human impacts – but will receive none of its benefits,” the state’s lawsuit says.
The MTA has disputed the state’s claims of lax checks and objectionable tolls.
As part of the MTA plan, parts of the Bronx would receive $35 million for mitigation. The plan does not specify a dollar amount set aside for New Jersey, but the agency says it is committing to mitigation when necessary.
New Jersey was asking that congestion pricing switches remain off until another detailed study was done, especially since the MTA extended peak congestion pricing by two hours and approved the higher $15 base fare after it was completed. the first impact study.
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