New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to newly minted President Donald Trump, urging the new administration to give New York’s congestion pricing scheme a close examination.
“As you begin your second term as President, I welcome any opportunity to work with you and your Administration where we can find common ground,” Murphy, a Democrat, wrote. “One area where I believe our priorities align is congestion pricing.”
“The current congestion pricing scheme is a disaster for working and middle-class New Jersey commuters and residents who need or want to visit lower Manhattan and now need to pay a big fee on top of the bridge and tunnel tolls they already pay,” Murphy added. “And, adding insult to injury, New Jersey communities are not being fully compensated for the additional traffic and attendant pollution that will be re-routed to them because of congestion pricing.”
New York City’s congestion pricing scheme, the Central Business District Tolling Program, began on Jan. 5. It applies to most motor vehicular traffic in the central business district area of Manhattan south of 60th Street, known as the Congestion Relief Zone, and aims to encourage commuters to use public transportation.
“New Jersey plans to amend its pending lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration over congestion pricing to challenge how they handled New York’s changes to the program over the last year,” Murphy continued. “I am requesting that New York’s congestion pricing scheme receive the close look it deserved but did not receive from the federal government last year.”
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