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New Jersey officials continue to express their disapproval of New York's revised congestion pricing plan. The plan, approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), imposes a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. The toll is expected to generate billions of dollars for the MTA and is scheduled to start in January. However, New Jersey officials argue that the plan unfairly burdens their commuters and have filed a lawsuit to halt its implementation.
Randy Mastro, the attorney representing New Jersey in the lawsuit, criticized the MTA, describing it as a "mismanaged mess" plagued by lost revenue from fare evasion and cost overruns. He accused the MTA of trying to balance its books on the backs of hardworking New Jersey commuters. Mastro also argued that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) allowed New York to proceed with congestion pricing without fully addressing how traffic and pollution would be shifted to its neighbors across the Hudson River as drivers avoid the new tolls. He contended that New Jersey communities would be forced to shoulder the environmental burdens of the tolling program while New York reaps all the benefits.
In response, the MTA has repeatedly stated that New Jersey communities were extensively studied in an environmental assessment. The agency maintains that the assessment found no significant impacts and that mitigations can and will be applied where appropriate, including in New Jersey. MTA CEO Janno Lieber defended the plans, stating that the MTA has delivered $400 million in savings without cutting service or layoffs. He also noted that the people affected by the decision who drive to Manhattan represent one half of 1% of the region’s population and will benefit from less traffic.
The lawsuit's outcome could potentially block or upend the city’s new tolling program, which is being closely watched by other cities considering similar measures.