With the way forward for congestion pricing in New York Metropolis unsure, at the very least one neighboring lawmaker is seizing on the chance to name for a refund for drivers who’ve paid the toll in latest weeks.
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democract, put out an announcement someday after the U.S. Division of Transportation’s letter withdrawing assist of the congestion pricing plan during which he “insisted” New York repay drivers.
“If New York insisted on conserving the cameras in place, they need to be ready to reimburse each Jersey commuter for the tolls they’re paying,” Gottheimer said. “Hardworking Jersey households shouldn’t be pressured to proceed to bail out the MTA’s woeful and legendary mismanagement.”
The Backyard State lawmaker, a staunch critic of the toll, additionally demanded an apology from Gov. Kathy Hochul “for claiming they are ‘not forced’ to come to New York.”
The governor, in the meantime, spent the tip of her week again in Washington, D.C., the place her spokesperson confirmed Hochul met with President Donald Trump within the Oval Workplace.
“The governor and the president had a frank, candid conversation about New York’s key priorities including congestion pricing, immigration, infrastructure, economic development, energy, offshore wind and nuclear power,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.
Can the DOT terminate congestion pricing unilaterally?
The Division of Transportation’s letter signifies that they have been withdrawing assist for the tolling plan however didn’t specify a date by which it might “terminate” the pilot program. Whereas the division offered the authorization for the pilot program, congestion pricing is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In an announcement, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber mentioned the company filed a lawsuit in federal court docket to make sure the plan will stay in place.
“It’s mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review – and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program – USDOT would seek to totally reverse course.,” the chairman added.
The lawsuit claims that the Trump administration’s efforts to finish congestion pricing are “unlawful” and declares the tolling system as the established order.
“The status quo is that Congestion Pricing continues, and unless a court orders otherwise, Plaintiffs will continue to operate the Program as required by New York law,” the federal court docket problem reads.
NYC Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander mentioned his workplace was exploring “all available options” to reverse the Trump administration’s choice to cease congestion pricing.
What initiatives may very well be affected by an finish to congestion pricing?
On Jan. 10, days after the controversial program began, the MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber introduced the acquisition of 265 electrical buses as the primary mission “unlocked” by congestion pricing. The busses have been bought through the first week and are anticipated to be in circulation throughout town later this yr.
When the mission was “paused” final summer time, NBC New York reported on that the pause would influence initiatives so as to add elevators and ramps for at the very least 18 subway stations and upgrading indicators for C & F traces in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Within the letter, Duffy acknowledges that an finish to congestion pricing “may deprive the transit agency of funding, but any reliance on that funding stream was not reasonable given that FHWA approved only a ‘pilot project.'”
