A federal judge on Monday issued a partial ruling in a dispute between New York and New Jersey over New York City's controversial congestion pricing, allowing the Empire State to charge drivers entering the city center. It found that it had taken most of the steps necessary to impose the plan. Manhattan.
U.S. District Judge Leo M. Gordon, who is overseeing the case, also asked the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to review and explain certain aspects of its congestion pricing program.
Gordon asked FHWA for more information, but declined to say whether the program should proceed as planned on January 5, 2025.
Nevertheless, after Gordon made the decision, New York and New Jersey officials claimed victory.
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FILE – Traffic crosses the Brooklyn Bridge into Lower Manhattan on Thursday, February 8, 2024, in New York. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will charge higher tolls to motorists entering central Manhattan on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, just weeks before the nation's first “congestion pricing” system launches. Implementation of the plan has been postponed indefinitely. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
“Plans will move forward this weekend,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
Jano Lieber, chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), also spoke, saying the MTA was “pleased” with Gordon's decision.
“I am pleased that Judge Gordon agreed with the New York federal court on virtually every issue and rejected New Jersey's claims that the environmental assessment approved 18 months ago was flawed,” Lieber said in a statement. Ta. “Most importantly, this decision does not preclude implementation of the program, which is scheduled for this coming Sunday, January 5th.On the remaining two issues, the judge will decide whether the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide additional data, information not yet submitted to the court. In this proceeding, we have addressed these issues through subsequent federal action, including approval of revised rate reductions. I am confident that it has been resolved.”
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United States – March 1: MTA Chairman and CEO Jano Lieber speaks to the media during a break in a hearing on congestion pricing on Friday, March 1, 2024 in Manhattan, New York. Lecture. (Barry Williams, NY Daily News, via Getty Images)
Even though Hochul and the MTA declared victory in implementing congestion pricing, New Jersey State Attorney Randy Mastro has interpreted Gordon's decision differently, saying congestion pricing will continue pending further explanation from federal officials. He said the settings are on hold.
“We welcome today’s court ruling in the congestion pricing case. Because of the New Jersey case, the judge ordered a remand and the MTA cannot move forward with the January 5, 2025 implementation of its current congestion pricing plan. We can’t,” Mastro said. “The judge found that the Federal Highway Administration acted arbitrarily and capriciously in approving the MTA's plans, that the FHWA's decision did not provide a reasonable explanation for the promise of mitigation, and that New York state We have made significant changes to the pricing structure following government approval and have determined that further consideration is required before the current congestion pricing proposals become effective.
He added, “New Jersey continues to firmly oppose any attempt to force a vote on congestion pricing proposals in the final weeks of the Biden administration.” “There has never been a better time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals traveling to downtown Manhattan for work, school, leisure, etc., increasing to $15 over time.”
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FILE – Pedestrians cross Delancey Street as congested traffic from Brooklyn crosses the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan on March 28, 2019 in New York. New York Gov. Cathy Hochul plans to charge higher tolls to motorists entering central Manhattan Wednesday, June 5, 2024, weeks before the nation's first “congestion pricing” system launches. implementation has been postponed indefinitely. (AP Photo/Mary Altafer, File)
According to the judge's decision, FHWA must provide feedback by January 17, 2025.
Last month, the MTA approved congestion pricing for Hochul by a 12-1 vote.
Congestion pricing will begin in January, with mandatory video tolls being imposed on newly built gantries surrounding the city centre. Traffic traveling under 60th Street and Central Park and traffic entering from New Jersey, Brooklyn, or Queens is subject to tolls, except via the RFK Triboro Bridge and the George Washington Bridge.
Mr. Hochul previously said he wanted to set the fee slightly lower than the original $15 (about $9 due to inflation), and Mr. Lieber said he hoped to achieve the same revenue goal by lowering the fee. He indicated that he was willing to consider whether this could be achieved.
Ultimately, the MTA agreed to a phased-in congestion pricing plan that would see Manhattan drivers charged higher tolls by 2031.
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President-elect Trump has said he intends to eliminate congestion pricing when he returns to the Oval Office on January 20, 2025, but the move could be more complicated if the program is already in place. There is.
