Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) criticized today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) regarding New York’s congestion pricing plan.

“I’ve said it before and I will say it one more time: New Jerseyans are used to paying our fair share but New York’s congestion pricing scheme is fatally flawed and unnecessarily unfair,” said Congressman Pascrell. “USDOT should have required New York to complete a full Environmental Impact Statement. And the negatives still outweigh the positives for New Jerseyans. New York’s plan would saddle Jersey commuters with extra taxes on top of our already-high taxes without the needed financial return for our transit systems. Having the rubber stamp of approval by the federal government is wrong and an affront to New Jersey. Was Garden Staters’ input actually internalized at all in this latest announcement? It doesn’t seem so. USDOT is derelict in its duty. This plan as conceived should not stand and I’ll continue to work with the state and my colleagues to oppose it.”