Senators Steven Oroho and Michael Testa criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for moving forward with Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan.

Senators Steven Oroho and Michael Testa criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration for moving forward with Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan. (SenateNJ.com)

“Manhattan’s new congestion pricing plan is yet another example of New York levying an unjust tax on New Jersey commuters,” said Oroho (R-24). “New York is trying to extract as much money as possible from New Jerseyans. First, it unfairly taxes former New Jersey commuters working from home since the pandemic. Now, it’s charging them a fee for traveling across the state border. This is just another scheme for New York to keep padding its budget at the expense of New Jersey.”

The Biden administration’s FHWA approved a plan earlier this month to charge commuters an increased fee to enter Manhattan in a supposed effort to reduce congestion and improve the city’s air quality.

The congestion pricing plan has received support from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but it has faced opposition from a wide coalition of bipartisan federal and state lawmakers.

“This so-called congestion pricing plan is something that could have only been conceived by rich, out of touch, limousine liberals,” added Testa (R-1). “In addition to the significant impact this will have on New Jersey taxpayers, what about the other four New York boroughs? Did Democrats not think about the number of trucks that will need to be rerouted around Manhattan? In fact, researchers have consistently shown that this ill-conceived plan will actually increase traffic and pollution in the Bronx.”

Under the plan, which New York is planning to begin implementing in just a few months, commuters entering midtown or downtown Manhattan could be hit with a fee of up to $23 during peak hours and up to $12 during nighttime hours. The program is projected to boost state revenue by about $1 billion.

“In the end, we know this plan has very little to do with the environment and everything to do with boosting state revenue for New York. New Jerseyans, and New Yorkers, deserve better,” the Senators added.