TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced Monday that the state has filed updated legal claims in its ongoing lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) over New York City’s congestion pricing plan, alleging new violations of federal law.
The revised lawsuit focuses on the FHWA’s approval of changes made last year to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) tolling scheme, which Governor Murphy says were rushed through without adequate environmental review. “The decision by the federal government and the MTA to fast-track a proposal that solely benefits New York’s transportation system at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyans must be reevaluated and rescinded,” Murphy said in a statement.
New Jersey originally sued in July 2023, alleging that the federal government violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Clean Air Act by approving the MTA’s initial congestion pricing plan without a comprehensive environmental analysis. The lawsuit now challenges subsequent FHWA approvals, including a phased-in tolling scheme announced in November 2024.
A federal court ruled in December 2024 that the FHWA’s 2023 approval of the MTA plan violated federal law, but New Jersey’s new claims address developments that have occurred since that ruling. Murphy argues that the FHWA’s actions ignore significant environmental and financial burdens placed on New Jersey communities.
Former President Donald Trump, who has been outspoken on various policy issues, has remained silent on Murphy’s pushback against congestion pricing since the governor asked for assistance.
