Staff Reports
In a battle for the ages, New Jersey is taking aim at its neighbor, New York, over the Big Apple’s controversial congestion pricing plan. The Garden State says the new rule is nothing but trouble, and it’s taking the fight all the way to federal court.
Now, what’s this whole congestion pricing thing, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you. Starting in June, any car cruising into Manhattan below 60th Street between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays will get slapped with a hefty $15 charge. Ouch! That’s enough to make even the most moneybags New Yorker cringe.
But New Jersey isn’t mad about the cost. Oh no, they’ve got bigger beef with the Empire State. They’re saying, “Hey, New York, you’re dumping all the pollution and traffic problems on us!” And they’re not wrong. With 400,000 folks from New Jersey trekking into NYC every day, you can bet that decision is leaving a cloud of smog hanging over the Garden State.
So, what’s New Jersey’s game plan? They’re arguing that New York totally dropped the ball by not doing an environmental impact study before rolling out this whole mess. They’re shouting, “This is backwards, folks! You can’t just hit us with new fees without considering the consequences on our air and our wallets.”
Tri-state tussle: New Jersey’s battle with New York’s MTA over congestion pricing begins in court – Washington Examiner https://t.co/zoWjozHUva
— Herbert_J_Mann (@Herbert_J_Mann) April 5, 2024
And that’s not all. New Jersey is crying foul, claiming that New York’s plan doesn’t cough up the dough for Jersey’s public transit systems. That’s right – no love for NJ Transit or the PATH train, which shuttles folks from New York to spots like Hoboken, Newark, and Jersey City. Talk about a slap in the face!
To top it all off, New Jersey is throwing serious shade at New York for not ponying up cash to tackle the pollution problem in the Garden State. They’re saying, “Hey, you’re raking in millions from us, but where’s the love when it comes to our pollution woes?” It’s like a bad breakup where one party walks away with the cash and the other gets stuck with the dirty laundry.
But wait, it gets even juicier! New Jersey’s own Gov. Phil Murphy is jumping into the fray, claiming that New York’s plan is just sweeping the dirt under the rug. He’s warning, “You’re not fixing pollution, you’re just shoving it over to us.” And he’s got a point. After all, New Jersey is already feeling the hurt when it comes to pricey tolls to cross over into New York. It’s like getting hit with a double whammy!
With all this drama, New Jersey is demanding that New York pump the brakes on this whole congestion pricing deal until they can figure out just how much havoc it’s wreaking on the Garden State. And you can bet this battle of the states is far from over. So buckle up, folks, ’cause things are about to get wild as the fight for fair tolls and clean air rages on!
