New Jersey mayor floats 'consolidation price' in response to NYC's controversial price

A New Jersey mayor is raising the idea of ​​rolling back congestion pricing after New York City implemented a controversial congestion charge last week.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is also running for governor of the Garden State, has embraced the idea, according to Fox 5 New York.

“New Jersey has the same opportunity to push the same buttons that New York is pushing for us,” Fulop told the outlet. “We can do that to them, but the goal is to come to the table to have a reasonable solution.”

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The mayor said he believes rolling back congestion pricing is an appropriate response to New York City's new tax, which charges cars into busy Manhattan neighborhoods as a way to encourage people to take the subway.

“There's a lot of crossover between Staten Island, New York, Bergen County, Hudson County and New Jersey,” Fulop said. “There's a lot of potential for the same amount of money that New York spends in New Jersey.”

Fulop said he believes the money made from rolling back congestion pricing should fund New Jersey's mass transit program, which has been plagued by delays and cancellations.

Congestion price plate readers are installed on Lexington Avenue on December 18, 2023, in New York City. (Getty Images)

“My opinion is that New Jersey Transit is a bad product, and it should be invested heavily, and until you get a reliable transit system in New Jersey, you can't reasonably assume that people are going to take the trains,” Fulop said. said. “But this was an opportunity to get hundreds of millions of dollars for New Jersey Transit, and I think the governor just took a very easy political approach.”

There was originally a chance for New Jersey to get hundreds of millions of dollars in new New York City money, but that fell through in the middle of litigation.

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More devices have been installed on New York City streets in a controversial pricing plan. (Getty Images)

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The details of Fulop's proposal have not been finalized, but he said gantries or toll booths could be installed outside of tunnels and bridges in New Jersey.

He said, such as the price of traffic, there may be exemptions or excesses of debts.

It's not clear whether New Jersey residents will be required to pay a fee to re-enter their home state like some New Yorkers have to get the tariffs.