NEW YORK — The countdown to congestion pricing in New York Metropolis is over. Drivers now should pay a toll to enter Manhattan south of sixtieth Road.
A choose cleared the best way for New York to activate the toll readers right this moment by quashing a New Jersey lawsuit that sought to dam congestion pricing from going into impact late Friday evening.
An order got here down Saturday from a federal appeals courtroom denying New Jersey’s emergency movement to cease the plan. Their attraction can proceed, however the courtroom will not hear arguments till after congestion pricing goes into impact.
“[We’re] doing one thing that proves that town is just not paralyzed to take care of the challenges. We’re doing one thing that is about cleaner air and safer streets and fewer site visitors and higher transit. We’re doing one thing that is historic. It is the primary within the nation,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber stated Saturday.
“[Congestion pricing] could properly lower the price of residing right here, proper? So let’s simply say you are a plumber or an equipment restore individual, and now you possibly can add one other go to to your roster as a result of you possibly can transfer across the metropolis extra shortly,” stated Rachel Weinberger, a transportation planning professional with the Regional Plan Affiliation.
The brand new $9 tolls might be in impact from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, in keeping with the MTA. Drivers can pay $2.25 outdoors of peak hours.
It follows years of planning and turmoil between critics and supporters of the MTA tolling plan, which incorporates restricted exceptions to paying full value to enter the Congestion Aid Zone.
Click on right here for maps and an in depth breakdown of the place drivers will and will not be tolled below the congestion pricing plan.
Congestion pricing clears last-minute authorized problem
A final-minute courtroom battle to halt congestion pricing ended late Friday evening when a federal choose sided with New York and refused to challenge an injunction after almost 4 hours.
Attorneys representing New Jersey argued congestion pricing would trigger irreversible hurt to Backyard State residents, however the choose decided they had been unable to make the case. Particularly, they argued residents residing close to the George Washington Bridge might be adversely impacted as a result of drivers will attempt to keep away from the brand new toll on the Lincoln and Holland tunnels and take the GWB as a substitute.
“We respectfully disagree with right this moment’s resolution,” stated Randy Mastro, an legal professional representing New Jersey.
Mastro stated he plans to attraction the choose’s ruling.
A spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy stated in a press release, “We’re disillusioned that the courts are permitting congestion pricing to take impact tomorrow regardless of agreeing that its approval violated the regulation and arbitrarily shortchanged New Jersey residents. We’ll proceed combating in opposition to this unfair and unpopular scheme.”
Lieber stated congestion pricing will go ahead it doesn’t matter what.
“After untold numbers of lawsuits and plenty of combating within the press, the time for debating and lawsuits is over. It is time to get to work making this new initiative successful for New York,” he stated Friday evening.
Greater than every week earlier than the New Jersey choose made his ruling, two New York judges refused to delay congestion pricing any additional.
New York’s congestion pricing plan is the primary of its variety within the U.S.
contributed to this report.
