The state of New Jersey has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration over New York City's plans to charge drivers a fee to enter midtown Manhattan through a congestion pricing proposal.
According to the lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Newark, the state says the agencies' approval of the proposal bypasses the risks it proposes to New Jersey's residents and is ill-considered, reports Bloomberg.
The New York Manhattan Transportation Authority's congestion pricing plan calls for fares of $9 to $25 for passenger vehicles and $12 to $82 for trucks entering the city south of 60th Street, beginning as soon as the first quarter of 2024.
The MTA says the tolls are designed to reduce congestion, help public transportation systems, and improve New York City's air quality.
The FHWA gave the tolling program its final approval last month, saying after an environmental review that it would cause no significant impact.
The state of New Jersey's complaint, though, says the determination is a "misguided decision" and a violation of federal guidelines, and argues that the new tolls would change commuting patterns by redirecting traffic.
That would unfairly burden the New Jersey crossings that are not included in the pricing plan, the lawsuit also states.
According to the National Environmental Policy Act, federal agencies are required to consider how any major federal project will impact the environment and conduct an assessment including public comment.
The rule also involves city plans that use federal funding.
"Nothing in this bedrock federal environmental law allows the FHWA to turn a blind eye to the significant environmental impacts that congestion pricing in the Manhattan Central Business District will have on New Jersey, favoring New York at the expense of its neighbors," adds the state's complaint.
It is estimated that 143,000 of the 1.5 million people who work in Manhattan's central district drive into the area. Those numbers don't include people who drive into the district for reasons other than work.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.