Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday again criticized a proposal for congestion pricing rates that would charge cars headed into Manhattan’s Central Business District an extra $15 on top of regular tolls — and trucks even more.
The new toll is an effort to control traffic jams and vehicle pollution and raise money for the MTA, but Murphy maintained at a groundbreaking that it is ill-conceived and sure to be contested. “It’s ripping off New Jersey commuters to pay for whatever financial failings the MTA has,” the governor said. “We’re considering all of our options — including further legal action.”
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) also spoke and added his criticism: “You got hard-working families who are going to get whacked with a new $15/day tax — on top of the $17 they pay to go over the bridge or through the tunnels — plus parking, plus gas — so you’re talking about a fortune.”
The Transportation Mobility Review Board recommended daytime congestion pricing rates of $15 per car — with a big discount for overnight hours — $24 for small trucks and $36 for big rigs. As for discounts, it proposed $5 for cars taking the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown or Brooklyn-Battery Tunnels, but no discounts for the George Washington Bridge.
“We know it’s a controversial issue, but we really did try to strike a balance of fairness,” said board chair Carl Weisbrod.
The officials were attending a ground-breaaking ceremony for the Gateway Tunnel Project on the New Jersey side, where a bridge is being built to connect roads to the new Hudson River tunnels.
After a decade of fits and starts, Gateway looks like it’s finally underway with new state and federal funding. The new tunnels won’t be completed until 2035, officials said. Meanwhile, NJ Transit rail ridership still lags at 70-80% of pre-COVID-19 levels.
