Judge denies New Jersey request; congestion pricing will begin on Sunday
FORT LEE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Congestion pricing is starting early Sunday morning after New Jersey's request for a temporary restraining order was denied by a federal judge.
The MTA will start the program as planned Sunday morning even as New Jersey prepares to keep fighting in court, with the governor's office announcing it will seek emergency relief from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Leo Gordon heard arguments from lawyers representing New Jersey, the MTA and the Federal Highway Administration in court.
He read a lengthy opinion in court, denying the state's request for an injunction.
On Thursday, Congressman Josh Gottheimer stood with local representatives and community members in Fort Lee, New Jersey to call on a judge to put the brakes on the plan.
"New York's plan to fix congestion is to give more of it to children in Jersey, by sending more smog into our homes and neighborhoods," Gottheimer said. "This new Lung Tax will cost Jersey children and families more money to breathe worse air, punishing our lungs and wallets at the same time."
The MTA fired back in response to the rally in Fort Lee.
"Nobody in their right mind should take transportation advice from the New Jersey politicians who have woefully failed to manage transit in their state while also endorsing higher tolls on their own roads and on Port Authority bridges and tunnels, and higher fares on NJ Transit," said MTA Chief of Policy and External Relations John McCarthy in a statement. "Endless litigation over New York's program to improve its transit and reduce traffic is the height of hypocrisy."
Supporters of the toll who live in New Jersey held a rally outside.
The new toll is expected reduce the amount of cars in the city by 80,000 and collect billions of dollars for much need transit improvements.
"It's time to pay the piper here," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
They're hoping to convince more commuters to take public transit. At a time, some high profile crime has been reported underground.
"I used to go down to the subway without a care in the world and now I pay attention to my surroundings and stand back from the tracks," one commuter told Eyewitness News.
Over the past two weeks, a man lit a woman on fire. In another case, a rider was pushed onto the subway tracks.
We found murders have doubled from 5 in 2023 to 10 last year leading to a 100 percent increase. Most other crimes have gone down during the same time period. Grand larceny, robbery, and burglary are down by double digits.
The governor says new transit cameras on every train and National Guard patrols have helped.
"I'm acknowledging there are frightening crimes for people. I'm not allowing them," Hochul said.
On Friday, she announced new legislation that would make it easier for hospitals to commit patients with severe mental illness and for courts to order outpatient treatment.
It is unclear how the governor's plan will fare in the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats and begins its annual legislative session later this month.
"We will have the resources to ensure that you have an efficient, on-time, better experience because we're going to make the investments that should have been done over decades that were never done because it was too costly," Hochul said.
Hochul believes the tolls don't contradict her vision because she lowered the price of the new toll to 9 dollars. She added that more than 80 percent commuters already take public transit.
President-elect Donald Trump has already said he opposes the plan and would end it when he takes office.
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