NEW YORK — A federal judge has rejected New Jersey’s last-minute legal challenge to New York City’s congestion pricing program, paving the way for tolls to take effect as scheduled on Sunday.
U.S. Senior Judge Leo Gordon delivered his decision Friday evening, denying an emergency motion filed by attorneys representing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s office. The state had sought to delay the implementation of the program, which is intended to reduce traffic in Midtown and Lower Manhattan while generating billions of dollars for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“In a nutshell, denied,” Gordon said in court, ruling against New Jersey’s request to halt the tolling.
The program will charge drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street a base toll of $9, with potential adjustments for peak hours and exemptions for certain vehicles. The tolls mark the culmination of years of planning and debate over the initiative, which is the first of its kind in the United States.
New Jersey attorney Randy Mastro vowed to appeal the ruling, indicating that legal battles could continue even after the tolling begins. “The fight is not over,” Mastro said, arguing that federal approval of the program remains incomplete.
Judge Gordon’s ruling followed a 72-page decision issued earlier this week, in which he largely sided with the MTA, finding that the agency had conducted an adequate analysis of the program’s environmental and traffic impacts. However, he also ordered the MTA and the Federal Highway Administration to provide more specifics about how they will mitigate potential increases in pollution and traffic in New Jersey.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the MTA plans to move forward with the tolling system on Sunday, citing its importance in alleviating congestion and funding public transportation improvements.
