NJ Gov. Murphy says congestion pricing is ‘a money grab for the MTA’

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that congestion pricing is "a money grab for the MTA" on Good Day New York.

What is Murphy doing about congestion pricing?

What we know:

According to the New York Post, Murphy has launched a billboard campaign promoting a $20 million initiative to reward New York companies that let employees work in New Jersey, bypassing the $9 congestion toll.

Companies located in the Manhattan toll zone south of 60th Street will receive grants from New Jersey to allow its residents to work remotely or via satellite office west of the Hudson River, the New York Post said.

Murphy's office told the post that along with the billboards, New Jersey will launch online ads across social media and websites.

After Murphy appeared on Good Day New York, he posted on X on Monday that he sent a letter to President Trump "urging his administration to reexamine New York's congestion pricing scheme."

Traffic is seen along George Washington Bridge in New York on August 18, 2023. New York has received a plan by the Federal Highway Administration to charge up to $23 dollars for driving in midtown Manhattan for 2024, in an effort to combat traffic co (Getty Images)

"Congestion pricing is a disaster for New Jersey commuters and must receive the close look it deserves from the federal government," Murphy said in a post on X

"I'm not denying that the MTA is in a financial crisis," Murphy said on Good Day New York. "Why are you mooching off your neighbors to fix your own financial inadequacies?"

What does Murphy think of congestion pricing?

What they're saying:

"This is a lousy deal for New Jersey commuters, and I am not going to stand for it," Murphy said on Good Day New York. "We’re going to continue to fight this and remind people that if you stay in New Jersey, we’ll take care of you."

MTA chairman Janno Lieber also appeared on Good Day New York, saying that he has heard from New Jersey officials that they are pleased about it. 

Murphy said Lieber had not spoken to him.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (Edwin J. Torres/Governor’s Office)

"This is a money grab for the MTA and that's what this is," Murphy said on Good Day New York. "There's just no two ways about it. Again, that's not to say there wasn't a deal or is it a deal that we could live with because we're reasonable people."

What Murphy wants to say to a New Jersey commuter is, "hey, it was going to be $15, but now we're going to give you a break, it's going to be $9. And if you take the Lincoln and the Holland, it'll only be $6."

"As I've said, until I'm blue in the face, you're starting. If you're a New Jersey commuter, you started at zero and so you're going up to $6, and if you're on the GW, up to $9," Murphy said on Good Day New York. "So it's what the commuter pays, it's what we get back in mitigation, because this is displacing pollution from Manhattan to northern New Jersey, so that is part of it for sure."

What is congestion pricing?

The backstory:

Vehicles approach the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, US, on Monday, July 24, 2023. New York's plan to charge drivers entering midtown Manhattan is a brazen money grab, New Jersey's senior US senator said after the Garden State sued (Getty Images)

Congestion pricing is an electronic tolling system that charges vehicles for entering Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) — the area below 60th Street, excluding certain highways like the FDR Drive and West Side Highway. The program aims to:

  • Reduce gridlock in Manhattan's busiest areas.
  • Encourage public transit use.
  • Fund approximately $15 billion in transit infrastructure improvements.

The Source: This article uses information from the New York Post and published information from the Associated Press.

Phil Murphy