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Published on January 21, 2025
New Jersey Governor Murphy Appeals to President Trump to Halt New York's Congestion Pricing PlanSource: Wikipedia/首相官邸ホームページ, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has taken his opposition to New York's congestion pricing plan to the doorstep of President Trump, appealing for the president's intervention as he settles into his second term. The congestion pricing measure, which imposes a toll on drivers entering the streets of lower Manhattan, spurred controversy and legal battles even before its implementation on January 5. According to the New York Daily News, Murphy sees an opportunity for alignment with Trump, who previously criticized the plan on social media.

In a letter quoted by the ABC7 New York, Murphy describes the pricing scheme as a "disaster" for New Jersey commuters, highlighting additional burdens such as increased bridge and tunnel tolls, and projecting rerouted traffic and pollution into the Garden State. Governor Murphy’s administration has been in the legal trenches over this issue, with a federal judge in Newark recently shooting down the state's attempt to pause the congestion pricing plan.

Despite the legal resistance, the Federal Highway Administration remained steadfast, backed by a comprehensive environmental assessment. Lawyers from New Jersey, as reported by ABC7 New York, are said to be preparing an amended complaint to challenge the administration's "multiple re-evaluations" of the program. New Jersey plans to pivot away from their efforts to secure a restraining order, which had already been denied on multiple judicial levels, and continue their opposition through the courts.

Simultaneously, New Jersey is gearing up to soften the blow of cross-state commuting costs with a new $20 million program. NJ RISE, or New Jersey Re-assigning In State Employees program, aims to aid New York businesses in accommodating New Jersey residents to work remotely or at satellite offices within their home state. This initiative will be promoted via billboards strategically placed at major bridges and tunnels.

The toll, set at $9 per day for drivers traveling through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, aims to address traffic congestion and provide funding for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) construction and repair projects. The plan has become a point of debate involving interstate policies and discussions at the federal level.