Congestion pricing is saved! And by a Jersey judge, no less!
In a far-from-stunning (though also completely stunning, given congestion pricing's tortured history) ruling, Judge Leo Gordon declared that congestion pricing could move ahead on schedule because New Jersey had not proven that the MTA and its federal partners violated federal environmental process.
Gordon's 72-page ruling (read it here) was a slam dunk as he trotted out phrases like, "The Court is unpersuaded...," "plaintiff’s arguments reflect a shifting of the goalposts..." and "the Court disagrees..."
Gordon mostly chided New Jersey's argument that the MTA did not take a “hard look” at the environmental impacts of congestion pricing and even went further, saying that the MTA's $155-million package of environmental mitigations force him to conclude that "the proposed [toll] would not have a significant adverse effect on environmental justice communities."
The best New Jersey got was an order from the judge to the MTA to pay more attention to specific environmental hot spots that may spring up in New Jersey. But this is the extent of the Jersey "win": Gordon demanding that the Federal Highway Administration provide him with a "reconsideration of the rationale providing for differing levels of mitigation commitments for the Bronx as compared to potentially significantly affected areas in New Jersey and the ultimate mitigation determination."
MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber crowed that "on virtually every issue, Judge Gordon ... rejected New Jersey’s claim that the environmental assessment approved 18 months ago was deficient."
Everyone covered it, including the Daily News (albeit with a weak headline), the Post (focusing on New Jersey's false belief that congestion pricing can't start on Jan. 5), the Times (trying to play it both ways)
Of course, there was other news yesterday:
- Speaking of congestion pricing, Andrew Cuomo, who passed congestion pricing when he was governor in 2019, is still delusional:
Actually, there's a 4,000+ page study of the 'facts, not politics' from 2023
— 🚇 Riders Alliance (@RidersAlliance) December 30, 2024
And no, funding public transit while decongesting streets and cutting air pollution can't wait on the timeline for anyone's much heralded comeback https://t.co/xaH4OuPVli
- A Manhattan woman was struck by a hit-and-run car driver. (NYDN)
- Two MTA workers created the very opposite of a hostile workplace ... for themselves. (NY Post, amNY)
- Like Streetsblog, Gothamist also spent part of Monday covering the MTA's efforts to get its next capital plan back on track. (Our graphic was better.)
- And, finally, as this is the last day of 2024, we'll remind you to vote for your favorite project of the year, your biggest disappointment of the year, and the activists who waged the best campaign of the year. We'll share the results on Thursday.
- And finally, yesterday was a day of great generosity from our readers on what was the penultimate day of our December Donation Drive. We remain achingly close to our fundraising goals, so we hope you can push us over the line. Until then, we'll thank yesterday's benefactors: Thanks, Paul! Thanks, Rachel D.! Thanks, Orcutt! Thanks, Michael! Thanks, Nathan! Thanks, Rachel R.! Thanks, Sungwoo! Thanks, Joe G.! Thanks, Benedict! Thanks, Andrea! Thanks, Nora! Thanks, Gina! Thanks, Chris S.! Thanks, Barak! Thanks, Tim M.! Thanks, Dom! Thanks, Venkatesh! Thanks, Lawrence S.! Today's your last chance to join their ranks:
