FORT LEE, N.J. (1010 WINS) — Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer announced on Tuesday that New Jersey's fight against New York's congestion pricing plan is far from over.
The MTA board approved a plan Monday to restart congestion pricing with a scaled-back toll beginning in January on Monday. The resolution starts the toll at $9 on Jan. 5, then increases it to $12 in 2028 and the original amount of $15 in 2031, according to MTA documents.
"What we're asking for, since they've changed the pricing—which will affect traffic patterns and the whole decision-making process people make—is that the Department of Transportation, instead of rushing this through, puts through a comment period as they're supposed to," Gottheimer, whose congressional district includes most of Bergen County, as well as parts of Passaic and Sussex counties, told 1010 WINS.
Gottheimer, who recently announced his campaign for governor, is calling for a 90-day comment period to allow further public input on the plan, which is set to launch in January. He also added that he'll be asking House Speaker Mike Johnson to fast-track a bipartisan bill that would strip federal funding from the MTA if the plan moves forward.
"If New York goes ahead with this, there's a lot of people who won't be able to afford to go to work anymore, to drive over the bridge or through the tunnels, and it's gonna have a huge impact on the Port Authority, and no one's talked about how they're going to make up that gap yet," he said.
Meanwhile, Congressman Jerry Nadler — whose congressional district includes Midtown Manhattan, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side — has come to the defense of congestion pricing. "Our transit system needs the funds that congestion pricing tolling will provide to modernize and upgrade to a state of good repair," Nadler said in a statement.
Nadler strongly opposed any efforts to strip funds from the MTA, adding that such attempts "will be met with swift and resounding no by its representatives who actually care and fight for all of its residents."
"New York doesn't get to tell New Jersey what to do on the NJ Turnpike, and New Jersey doesn't get to tell us what to do on the streets and subways in New York City," Nadler said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul initially paused the rollout of the $15 toll in late June over concerns about its financial impact on cash-strapped New Yorkers. She then unveiled the new plan with the $9 toll last week.
The daily toll will be imposed on most vehicles driving into Manhattan south of 60th Street and collected via license plate readers.
The governor said the billions of dollars raised will be used to fund various transit projects, including electric buses, the second phase of the Second Avenue subway, and upgrades to the LIRR and Metro-North.
"Transit has to be preserved and expanded and improved or New York ain't going to be New York," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, while stating that the expansion of roadways for cars and trucks is impractical.
"We have a limited amount of room in the central business district, which is the most congested area in terms of traffic in the United States," Lieber said.
There are nine lawsuits currently pending.
