UPDATED: Congestion pricing begins

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) appeared to be taking a victory lap Friday, Jan. 3 as its controversial congestion-pricing toll cleared an 11th-hour appeal from New Jersey to block the tolls from starting Sunday, Jan. 5.

“Everybody knows this is a huge weekend in New York,” MTA chairman Janno Lieber said at a hastily called press conference late Friday shortly after the ruling was handed down.

“Congestion pricing goes live this Sunday, Saturday night going into Sunday, as planned.”

New Jersey sued New York in 2023 saying imposing the toll would lead to environmental harm from increased traffic in the Garden State by drivers seeking to avoid the toll.

But after a four-hour hearing Friday, Judge Leo Gordon rejected the argument.

“We’re really gratified that earlier this week, Judge Leo Gordon in New Jersey rejected that state’s claim that the environmental assessment, the 4,000-page document reflecting five years of work that had been approved by the federal government, he rejected the claim that it was deficient in some way. And today the judge confirmed that ruling and denied New Jersey’s efforts to get an injunction to stop congestion pricing.

“We’ve been studying this for five years, but it only takes about five minutes if you’re in midtown Manhattan to realize that New York has a real traffic problem,” Lieber said.

The financially strapped MTA says it expects the toll will cause about a 13 percent drop in traffic into midtown while helping to bring in $600 million from tolls that will enable it to raise up to $15 billion in bonds that will be used to make badly needed major capital improvements to infrastructure.

The toll will cost car drivers with E-Z Pass $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

During off-peak hours, tolls will be reduced to $2.25.

Lieber was asked what he would say to opponents of congestion pricing who say the public is avoiding mass transit because of a spate of random crimes and this is a cash grab by MTA to make up for declining ridership.

“I am with those who are pushing to restore a full sense of order in the MTA,” he said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy vowed to make one final pitch to get an appeals court to overturn the latest ruling.

“We respectfully disagree with the trial court’s decision not to halt New York’s congestion pricing program before it goes into effect on Sunday.

”The judge found that the Federal Highway Administration acted arbitrarily and capriciously in approving the MTA’s plan insufficient environmental mitigation commitments were made to New Jersey. We will continue to fight for the people of New Jersey by seeking emergency relief from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.”

Lieber in his press conference appeared to be answering Murphy, though he did not address him by name. “The time for debating and lawsuits is over. It is time to get to work.”