NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The new momentum for congestion pricing on the streets of Manhattan has not come with any additional details on how it will work and that's not winning over hearts and minds in New Jersey.
There's a push in New York to get the long-delayed program started, but New Jersey officials want to hit the brakes.
"I just can't support my residents who commute paying more money to commute," said Sen. Cory Booker. "There's a better way to go about this than laying more costs on New Jersey residents."
Congestion pricing would automatically charge motorists an undetermined amount of money to drive south of 61st Street in Manhattan.
Sen. Bob Menendez said New Jersey commuters already pay enough and another tax, like congestion pricing, is unacceptable.
"They pay a city tax, they pay tolls already, they buy their lunch there, their businesses are receiving the benefit, come on," Menendez said.
Earlier, several New Jersey lawmakers announced a possible plan to counteract New York City’s proposed congestion pricing plan.
While Menendez would prefer to avoid a border war, he said, "New Jersey is very capable of reciprocating with actions."
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Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized the MTA during his daily briefing Tuesday after a recent report by the Daily News found the MTA has yet to meet transit officials in New Jersey, as they are required to do before launching congestion pricing. They've reportedly had just one meeting with Connecticut transportation officials.
He said that if New York City traffic continues on its current trajectory, it will be “a hindrance to our recovery.”
The mayor renewed his calls for the New York State officials and the MTA to quickly implement the plan, claiming worsening congestion threatens the city's economic recovery.
"Congestion is back and it's starting to come back with a vengeance," de Blasio said. "This city needs to keep moving, that's who we are, and we need to be able to move around to recover, people need to be able to move around for their livelihoods."
The goal of congestion pricing, which was approved by lawmakers in Albany in 2019, is to raise $15 billion to help fund the MTA's five-year, $51.5 billion capital plan, while also helping to unclog streets.
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De Blasio wants to have the controversial tolling system installed in Manhattan by 2022.
Last week, the mayor recommended that the city’s finance commissioner, Sherif Soliman, be added to the Traffic Mobility Review Board, which was created to oversee congestion pricing.
The board has still not met, and the mayor says it’s time they should.
Ken Lovett, senior advisor to the MTA Chairman and CEO, responded to the mayor’s push last week in a statement, saying the agency is currently working with the Biden administration to conduct an environmental assessment.
“There is a federally-required process. The MTA is following that detailed process which doesn’t allow arbitrarily cutting corners. An Environmental Assessment is complicated, and we are working through issues with the Federal Highway Administration and our partners at the New York City and New York State Departments of Transportation,” Lovett said in a new statement Tuesday. “As we have said repeatedly, the Central Business District Tolling Program will be a huge environmental benefit for the region while also providing a major boost to mass transit, and we’re working diligently to implement it as soon as possible.”
To that, the mayor said, "They are trying to point the finger at Washington, well that worked with the Trump administration, but it doesn't work anymore. The Biden administration in March told them go ahead, move congestion pricing, in fact we'll allow to you to do a fast environmental assessment so you can get moving."