By David Shepardson
(Reuters) – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday asked President Donald Trump to reexamine the federal government’s approval of New York City’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program that began on Jan. 5.
Murphy, a Democrat, said the program is a “disaster for New Jersey commuters and must receive the close look it deserves from the federal government.”
Under the program, passenger vehicles are charged $9 during peak periods in Manhattan south of 60th Street. Trucks and buses pay up to $21.60. The fee is reduced by 75% at night.
It is designed to reduce traffic and raise billions for mass transit, with most of the revenue generated targeted to upgrade the city’s subway and bus systems.
The White House did not immediately comment, but a spokesperson for Trump in November criticized the plan.
During the first week after the fee was imposed, traffic in Manhattan’s central business district fell by 7.5%.
The fee went into effect after New Jersey failed to convince a judge to halt it.
Charged via electronic license plate readers, private cars pay once a day regardless of how many trips they make into the central business district. Taxis pay 75 cents per trip and ride-share vehicles reserved by apps like Uber and Lyft pay $1.50 per trip.
A few other cities around the world already have congestion pricing systems. London, which implemented its system in 2003, now charges 15 pounds ($18.49). Singapore and Sweden also have congestion pricing plans.
Before the fee went into effect, New York said more than 700,000 vehicles entered the Manhattan central business district daily, slowing traffic to around 7 miles per hour (11 km per hour) on average, which is 23% slower than in 2010.
The city estimates the congestion charge will bring in $500 million in its first year. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the money would underpin $15 billion in debt financing for mass transit capital improvements, with 80% of the money to be spent on the subway and bus system, and the other 20% spent on two commuter rail systems.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Deepa Babington and Paul Simao)
