the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Federal Highway Administration approved the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to add a controversial toll (congestion pricing) around Manhattan’s central business district. A group of Congress members from New Jersey both Democrats and Republicans – called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to cancel the plan, saying that it will “impose significant new costs” on New Jersey commuters and families. The signees included Reps. Thomas Kean Jr., Frank Pallone Jr., Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Mikie Sherrill, Jeff Van Drew and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
In the letter the Congress members said ,“Even worse, the congestion pricing plan will tax New Jerseyans while simultaneously providing no revenue for our public transit network. We agree that additional funding for passenger rail projects and maintenance is crucial to addressing congestion and pollution in our communities, which makes the plan’s omission of NJ Transit from any revenue sharing difficult to explain. Instead, revenue from the congestion pricing will exclusively go towards New York’s MTA, even though a significant part of that revenue will come from New Jersey commuters.”
But don’t get your hopes up anytime soon that you are going to see a rate reduction. The Congress members from the Garden State seemed to be complaining more that the state, particularly cash strapped NJ Transit, was not getting any of the money .“Even worse, the congestion pricing plan will tax New Jerseyans while simultaneously providing no revenue for our public transit network. We agree that additional funding for passenger rail projects and maintenance is crucial to addressing congestion and pollution in our communities, which makes the plan’s omission of NJ Transit from any revenue sharing difficult to explain. Instead, revenue from the congestion pricing will exclusively go towards New York’s MTA, even though a significant part of that revenue will come from New Jersey commuters.”
Worse yet in a statement from Governor Murphy on the announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation on New York’s Congestion Pricing Plan, Governor Murphy said ,”As a conceptual matter, I support congestion pricing, but it must be structured in a way that is fair to all sides. UntiI New York’s congestion pricing plan is fixed, I will keep working closely with partners from both states and both sides of the aisle, including Congressman Gottheimer and our congressional delegation, to halt implementation of this misguided tolling plan. Our Administration is closely assessing all legal options.”
Translation: as soon as the Governor can figure out how the state of New Jersey can get a piece of the pie he will have no objection whatsoever. Commuters should prepare to pay anywhere from $9 and $23 to drive south of 60th Street in Manhattan and yes long live remote work !
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remote work for me
you are so right murphy just wants a cut of the action
The vast majority of Bergen residents who commute into the city do so by mass transit. Both Republican & Democrat governors and legislators have failed miserably for years to provide a steady revenue stream for NJ Transit outside of fares. Because of that, and mismanagement we are stuck with a system that doesn’t even have enough engineers and conductors to run their regular schedule at times.
Most people, given the choice between sitting in traffic for 90-120 minutes or sitting in a comfortable train or bus where they could read and relax would take the mass transit option-if it was reliable, well run and conveniently scheduled.
70% of Manhattan residents don’t own a car and instead depend on walking, mass transit , taxis and increasingly micromobility vehicles. The money from congestion pricing will go to the MTA to improve mass transit which will also benefit many NJ commuters who use the subway after getting off NJ Transit busses or trains. Additionally if more commuters chose to use mass transit into the city it will mean less traffic on the highways in Bergen County.
If the state and federal politicians in this article want to help their constituents, they should focus on improving NJ Transit service.
Coast?
Are you serious?
The money from congestion pricing is going straight into the MTA’s general fund…who are you kidding?
This is the final nail in the coffin for commercial real estate in nyc. It’s a shithole as it is with crime at an unprecedented scale and CP only accelerates its predicted outcome.
Absolutely. I nearly spit out my coffee when I read Ish’s suggestion that they would do anything other than waste this revenue on patronage.
Now that there is no reason for Manhattan to exist as a work destination, they can turn it into the penal colony that was foretold in that classic of bad cinema “Escape from New York”.