MURPHY ON 880: NJ Gov. suggests Port Authority could step in and stop congestion pricing

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined WCBS 880’s Newsline with Brigitte Quinn on Wednesday and hinted at the fact that the state could get the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey involved in halting New York’s congestion pricing plan if litigation against the MTA is unsuccessful.

Oral arguments began on Wednesday in front of a federal judge in Newark in the State of New Jersey’s lawsuit against congestion pricing, which Murphy calls a “cash grab on the back of New Jersey commuters.” The governor told Quinn that the lawsuit is calling for a full federal impact study on the environmental effect of the MTA’s $15 toll implementation.

“It’s not elimination of pollution, it’s displacing it from Manhattan to New Jersey,” Murphy said. “Reducing pollution is something we’re obsessed with. But we’re not going to have it put it in our lap without a thorough review of this.”

Murphy said that the environmental impact study will give New Jersey a seat at the table, which it has not yet had, and the administration will “live with the results of that when they come down.”

He remains confident in the legal team and case New Jersey has built against congestion pricing, despite claims by legal analysts that litigation may not fall in the Garden State’s favor.

"We’ve got a very full legal team on this," Murphy said. We think our case is a compelling one and I note that we've been joined by outer boroughs, unions. This is a particular burden on the working class families in our state, middle class families, folks who are first responders, others. I think that's a very compelling case."

If it were to fail in court, Murphy said that New Jersey’s pursuit of halting congestion pricing would not cease.

“We will turn over stone, legal or otherwise, to prevent this from happening, whether it's via the Port Authority, whether it's via other legal action, we will not let this stand,” he said.

The governor reminded listeners that Port Authority has a “huge amount of sway and influence” as well as jurisdiction over a lot of the cross-Hudson pathways and motorways.

When asked if he means to get Port Authority to step in and prevent congestion pricing, Murphy responded in the affirmative.

“Yes – essentially yes. The Port Authority has to play a role here and that avenue remains a viable one for us,” Murphy said. “But the most important ones right now are the legal avenues and we're pursuing them aggressively.