NJ congressman vows to stop NYC’s plan to ‘whack Jersey families’

⛔ Commuters with E-ZPass will pay $2,300 a year in tolls to enter Manhattan

⛔ NJ congressman lays out ways to stop the plan

⛔ Includes possible so-called nuclear option

"Game on."

A New Jersey congressman says he has half a dozen ways to stop New York's congestion pricing after years of crusading against the plan.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says its plan will result in 100,000 fewer vehicles in Manhattan's central business district every weekday. It's also designed to generate up to $1 billion in annual revenue for the MTA to fund $15 billion in capital projects.

But U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. 5th District, said the "absurd" new $9 toll to enter south of 60th Street approved on Monday will punish working New Jersey families.

And he said that the authority's mismanagement wastes more than they will generate in revenues from the plan.

"The MTA is so desperate for cash that they just don’t care about how it will hurt families, small businesses, nurses, the electrician. I mean they blow the $2 billion a year the federal government gives them, and the $15 billion they got during the pandemic," Gottheimer said.

Plan to stop New York's congestion pricing

The Democrat has been among the most vocal critics of congestion pricing for years.

With the George Washington Bridge behind him, Gottheimer said in Fort Lee on Tuesday he's demanding a full, 60-day comment period to review the plan from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

He's also calling on Congress to take up bipartisan legislation before the end of the year. Congestion pricing is set to begin Jan. 5, 2024 unless it's stopped by the courts.

Among the proposed bills is Gottheimer's Anti-Congestion Tax Act. The congressman says if signed into law, it would stop the transportation department from awarding new grants to the MTA in New York until New Jerseyans are exempt from any congestion tax.

One other bill would prevent congestion pricing unless New York received the consent of each affected state. Another bill simply bans congestion pricing in New York City.

Nuclear option to stop congestion pricing

In 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy said there was one "nuclear option" to stop congestion pricing. At the time, Gottheimer said to POLITICO that the proposal was "great."

The move involves the governor refusing to approve minutes from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's board meetings.

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This would freeze the bistate agency in its tracks and stop any new budgets or contracts from taking effect. It would be logistical chaos as operations would stop at the major airports and bridges run by the Port Authority.

Gottheimer officially threw his hat into New Jersey's 2025 gubernatorial race last week.

He said his first move as governor would be using the nuclear option to stop congestion pricing, the New Jersey Globe reported.

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