Gov. Phil Murphy has been suggesting — hoping — that his personal relationship with President Donald Trump, one born out of the pandemic, would be beneficial to the state of New Jersey once Trump took office.
Within hours of Trump’s inauguration Monday, Murphy put that idea to the test.
The governor sent a letter to Trump, urging him to intervene in the new congestion pricing tax (up to $9) put on all motorists (not just Jersey drivers) entering Manhattan’s main business district (below 60th street) from morning until night.
The letter asks for a reexamination of the federal approval of the plan.
“The current congestion pricing scheme is a disaster for working and middle-class New Jersey commuters and residents who need or want to visit lower Manhattan and now need to pay a big fee on top of the bridge and tunnel tolls they already pay,” he said.
Congestion pricing began on Jan. 5 after numerous efforts from the state of New Jersey to prevent it from doing so.
New Jersey failed in its attempts to halt congestion pricing in federal judge in Newark and by an appeals court in Philadelphia. It is believed the state will file additional challenges in the coming days.
What’s unclear is the impact of congestion pricing.
Anecdotal evidence (images) seems to show that traffic in Manhattan has dropped. It’s unclear if that means ridership on NJ Transit and other mass transit options has increased (something NJ Transit desperately needs).
Also unclear is whether drivers have changed their routes to get into Manhattan, causing traffic problems and increases in pollution in New Jersey.
In the letter, Murphy suggested N.J. is suffering from more than just a new tax.
“Adding insult to injury, New Jersey communities are not being fully compensated for the additional traffic and attendant pollution that will be re-routed to them because of congestion pricing,” he wrote.
It’s unclear if Trump has any interest in involving himself in the dispute. And, if so, how soon he would do so.
The first 100 days in office traditionally are spent on a flurry of policy issues while getting thousands of new positions filled (some of which require confirmation hearings).
It also should be noted that 2025 brought an increase in fees to use NJ Transit, the PATH or to ride on the N.J. Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway — as well as the gas tax.
Those additional fees also impact N.J. drivers (seemingly far more than congestion pricing) but have not been challenged in court by the state.