Gov. Murphy asks Trump to deliver on campaign promise to end congestion pricing

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is welcoming the new administration in Washington by reminding President Donald Trump of a campaign promise that would he says would benefit Garden State residents.

In a letter sent to Trump on Monday, the governor said he welcomes any opportunity to work with the new administration in places “where we can find common ground.” One of those includes congestion tolling implemented by New York to charge cars entering Lower Manhattan.

On Jan. 3, a judge denied a last-ditch effort pushed by New Jersey to stop the implementation of congestion pricing on the grounds that parts of the state would suffer environmentally from the new traffic patterns caused by drivers looking to avoid paying the toll.

Murphy’s request to Trump is not surprising given his vocal opposition and failed legal battles.

Critics of congestion pricing hope Trump’s return to the White House would mean a stop to the toll, which the president vowed to terminate “in my FIRST WEEK back in Office!!!”

“I know we share significant concerns about these developments,” the governor said in the letter that quotes multiple instances in which the then-candidate bashed the plan. “During your campaign, you called congestion pricing ‘a disaster for NYC’ and a ‘massive business killer and tax on New Yorkers, and anyone going into Manhattan.'”

In the communication to the White House, Murphy said the state plans to amend its lawsuit against the federal Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration over the approval process and the handling of the changes to the program.

“I am requesting that New York’s congestion pricing scheme receive the close look it deserved but did not receive from the federal government last year,” Murphy added.

Congestion pricing

Following the first full week of congestion pricing in the books, the MTA shared data showing the initial impacts of the controversial plan. And the agency claims it is working.

According to their new numbers, the MTA said 200,000 fewer vehicles entered Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone below 60th Street. That’s down more than 7.5% from 2024.

In addition to 218,917 fewer cars on the roads, inbound crossings moved 30-40% faster, and general traffic on Manhattan streets in the area overall moved 20-30% better.

There were four notable streets or areas where traffic below 60th Street did not improve: Fifth Avenue, 57th Street, Second Avenue and the security cordon near Trump Tower.