On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged President Donald Trump to intervene and eliminate New York’s congestion pricing, labeling it a “disaster for New Jersey commuters” and stating that it “must receive the close look it deserves from the federal government.”
The congestion pricing, which began on January 5, charges passenger vehicles $9 during peak hours for traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Trucks and buses are charged up to $21.60. The fees are reduced by 75% during nighttime hours.
In a letter addressed to President Trump, Murphy, a Democrat, expressed his concern that New York Governor Kathy Hochul was unfairly burdening New Jersey drivers by implementing the congestion pricing plan, especially since they are already paying to access the business district via the Port Authority’s Hudson River crossings.
“New York’s scheme has never been well designed or adequately studied, and the lack of proper analysis was exacerbated over the last year as officials repeatedly made significant changes to the program and secretly rushed them through federal approvals,” the governor stated.
Murphy went on to say, “The resulting congestion pricing plan is a disaster for working- and middle-class New Jersey commuters who need or want to visit lower Manhattan and now need to pay a big fee on top of the bridge and tunnel fees they already pay.”
Trump had previously voiced his intention to eliminate the congestion pricing plan.
{Matzav.com}
It has been great for over two weeks now, it should be kept and expanded. If some tweaking is needed, that could be examined later, but the fundamental idea must stay.
It’s insane. The whole idea is a backwards idea.
Tammy Murphy is very concerned about climate change. Congestion pricing prevents global warming.
You are all nuts it’s nothing more than an add tax on drivers who already are the highest paying taxed citizens. But more importantly this tax is being done by a non governmental agency.
Cars, trucks, etc., do a lot of damage to roads and people by pollution, accidents, etc. We need to limit them, so we don’t end up getting stuck in massive traffic jams, and breathing in dangerous polluted air, as is already happening in too many places.
They are a danger to health, so much time is wasted in traffic. Why do you pass by some houses and they look like parking lots, with multiple vehicles? Does every person need their own pollution belching machine?
I’ll consider that, the next time you order a couch or a new refrigerator. We’ll just have Pedro walk 30 miles from the warehouse carrying it on his back.