Trump may halt congestion pricing, as Gov. Phil Murphy welcomes a potential move

While the federal government hasn’t taken any formal action, reports indicate Trump administration may move to halt congestion pricing.

Gov. Phil Murphy’s office referred to comments made by counsel Randy Mastro that the “federal government may reconsider, especially where, as here, there is a pending court-ordered remand requiring the federal agency that approved congestion pricing to explain its decision that the court found to be arbitrary and capricious.”

Mastro went on to say this is an “appropriate time for reflection, reassessment and potential change on the federal government’s part.”

President Donald Trump was a vocal opponent of New York’s congestion pricing initiative, a tolling program to reduce congestion in Manhattan below 60th Street that received federal approval and launched earlier this month.

This would be the first attempt at the federal level to end or pause the program.

So far, a federal judge has largely disagreed with Murphy and the state’s legal team’s arguments that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s 4,000-page environmental review was inadequate, but the governor reiterated that he is still hoping for a lengthier federal review.

The governor appealed to the freshly sworn-in Trump on Inauguration Day in a letter that said he welcomes “any opportunity to work with you and your administration where we can find common ground,” noting that one area in which their “priorities align is congestion pricing.”

Earlier: MTA report says congestion pricing has reduced traffic in New York City

The governor noted that although New York officials had put the program under an “indefinite pause,” that pause ended a few weeks ago.

“I know we share significant concerns about these developments. During your campaign, you called congestion pricing ‘a disaster for NYC’ and a ‘massive business killer and tax on New Yorkers, and anyone going into Manhattan,'” Murphy wrote.

As of Thursday morning, he had not heard back.

New Jersey taxpayers have already paid Mastro, the attorney from King & Spalding hired to represent the Garden State, $1.1 million to work on this lawsuit, though the hourly rate is at a discount, reported Politico and the New Jersey Monitor.

During the first two weeks of the toll program — which charges automobiles $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours — early data and anecdotal observations suggest significantly improved travel times in Midtown.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said settlement discussions between New York and New Jersey failed despite what she described as “generous” offers.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Trump may stop congestion pricing: How is NJ affected?

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