RELEASE: Gottheimer Demands New York Halt Congestion Tax by Tomorrow’s Deadline

Above: Gottheimer fights New York’s Congestion Tax.

FORT LEE, NJ— Today, March 20, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined local leaders to demand New York halt collection of its crushing Congestion Tax ahead of tomorrow’s March 21 deadline for the MTA to shut off the cameras. Gottheimer announced new action to protect Jersey commuters and hold the MTA accountable if New York does not comply. 

A recording of the announcement can be found here.

New York’s Crushing Congestion Tax

• Last month, New York was ordered to end its outrageous Congestion Tax, giving the MTA until March 21 to shut off the cameras. 
• Governor Hochul has refused to comply, instead insulting hardworking Jersey commuters by claiming they are “not forced” to come to New York.
  • The governor said at a recent press conference, “New Jersey residents, come, you are welcome. But you’re not forced to come here.” 
  • Jersey residents pay $4.3 billion in income and other taxes to New York every year and support New York restaurants, stores, shows, and the economy.
• New York has whacked Jersey families with a crushing $9-a-day Congestion Tax — more than $2,300 a year now with E-ZPass — without a nickel going to New Jersey.
  • New York approved fare increases every year up to $15, costing nearly $4,000 per year.
  • It already costs more than $18 a day to go over the GW Bridge or through the tunnels.
• The MTA’s own reports show their Congestion Tax would change traffic patterns, forcing more trucks — and with them, more cancer-causing pollution — onto the GW Bridge and surrounding areas.
  • Since January, more noxious pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, and carcinogens like formaldehyde, have plumed into the lungs of Northern New Jersey.

MTA Mismanagement

• In 2023, the MTA lost $700 million on fare skippers and spent tens of millions on a new intercom system that does not work.
• Other examples of the MTA’s mismanagement include:
  • $700,000 spent on gates that fail to stop skippers.
  • $1 billion spent to expand the 2nd Avenue subway stations twice as large as experts say is needed.
  • $5 million spent on workers to look for fires at the bus depot because the sprinklers don’t work.

Gottheimer is Fighting to Protect Jersey Commuters 

• Gottheimer is writing to the New Jersey Department of Transportation urging them to bill New York’s MTA for any and all charges to Jersey families after tomorrow’s deadline.
  • Gottheimer is calling for the New Jersey DOT to invoice New York every single week that it refuses to comply with the shutoff deadline.
• Gottheimer is sending a letter to E-ZPass calling on them to stop charging drivers who enter the Congestion Zone after the March 21 deadline.
  • Gottheimer is also calling on NY E-ZPass to fix its broken system that prevents Jersey commuters from challenging New York’s fraudulent charges. Currently, only New York drivers can challenge incorrect charges, not New Jersey E-ZPass holders. 
• As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus, Gottheimer reintroduced a bipartisan legislative package to halt the Congestion Tax and hold the MTA accountable.
  • The Anti-Congestion Tax Act, which Gottheimer introduced with Congressman Van Drew, prohibits the Department of Transportation from awarding any new grants to MTA projects in New York until drivers from all New Jersey and New York crossings into Manhattan receive exemptions from any Congestion Tax. This will directly stop the MTA from costing the Port Authority millions if it insists on its nine-dollar-a-day tax. 
  • The Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act, which Gottheimer co-led with Congresswoman Malliotakis, requires the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct a full audit of the MTA to see how it has spent billions in federal assistance over the past five years. 
  • The Motorist Tax Abuse Act, which Gottheimer co-led with Congresswoman Malliotakis, specifically prohibits congestion pricing in New York City.

“From Day One, nearly six years ago when we first started this fight, we knew that the Congestion Tax was not about easing congestion or pollution, it was just a giant cash grab for New York and the MTA — all on the backs of hardworking Jersey families. Time’s up on New York’s Congestion Tax. I said we would fight this till the end, and it looks like New York will ultimately lose at the final buzzer,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus. “The decision to keep the Congestion Tax cameras on is completely ludicrous. It’s literally highway robbery. We are not going to sit around and let New York stick it to hardworking Jersey families. We will keep bringing the Jersey fight until New York turns off the Congestion Tax cameras and ends their cash grab once and for all.”

Gottheimer was joined by Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, Senator Gordon Johnson, Bergen County Commissioner Joan Voss, Greater Northeast Motorcoach Association Vice President Michelle Petelicki, President of the TWU Local 1400 Pat Reynolds, Lt. Matt Reheis of the Port Authority Benevolent Association, Sgt. Andrew Caruso of Port Authority Benevolent Association. 

Below: Gottheimer stands with local leaders to fight Congestion Tax.

Gottheimer’s full remarks as prepared for delivery:

Last month, in a huge win for Jersey families, their wallets, and the environment — the government ordered New York, once and for all, to end their outrageous Congestion Tax. Time’s up on New York’s Congestion Tax. Yet, just hours before the March 21st deadline to shut off the commuter-crushing tax, New York and the MTA haven’t shown an ounce of interest in complying with the directive. 

Instead, they are grasping for straws, ignoring the directive and the harsh reality that the Congestion Tax is punishing hardworking commuters and families in Jersey, killing their wallets with the $9 a day tax, and causing more cancer-causing pollution bellowing from truck traffic here at the GW Bridge. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised given their legendary failures on all fronts — it’s just March Madness from the MTA.

Let me be clear: We are not going to sit around and let New York stick it to hardworking Jersey families. We will keep bringing the Jersey fight until New York turns off the Congestion Tax cameras and ends their cash grab once and for all. So, I’m here to call on New York to comply with the federal directive and end the Congestion Tax by tomorrow’s deadline. They are not above the law.  

But, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Governor Hochul doesn’t appear to want Jersey commuters and families in New York City. In a recent press conference, Governor Hochul claimed hardworking Jersey commuters are “not forced to come here.” Really? Jersey residents pay $4.3 billion dollars in income and other taxes to New York every year. We support New York restaurants, stores, and shows. Yet, the Governor continues to take us for granted. What a slap in the face to the cops, firefighters, nurses, teachers, and countless other professionals who commute to New York every day to work, contribute to the economy, and support local businesses.

But, we know the MTA doesn’t really care — they just need the cash. From day one, nearly six years ago, when we first started this fight, we knew that the Congestion Tax was not about easing congestion or pollution — it was just a giant cash grab for New York and the MTA — all on the backs of hardworking Jersey families. They never cared about how the tax would hurt Jersey — they just needed the cash to bail out the MTA’s woeful and legendary mismanagement.

We are talking about a more than $2,300 dollar a year tax for the average commuter. And New York already pre-approved fare increases every year until they get to $15 a day — or nearly 4,000 dollars per year. That doesn’t include more than $18 a day to go over the GW Bridge or through the tunnels — or what it costs to park. Not a penny of the Congestion Tax goes to NJ Transit or to fix our roads or bridges. Nothing for the Port Authority for the huge hole that’s being created in its budget. Nothing. 

So, New York, Governor Hochul, the MTA, here’s the big question. Will you, or won’t you, follow the law and comply with the federal directive to shut the cameras off tomorrow? If you don’t comply — if you insist on keeping the cameras on, you should be prepared for some concrete action from New Jersey, the courts, and those of us in Congress. 

First and foremost, if New York and the MTA continue with the Congestion Tax after tomorrow, I’d strongly urge Attorney General Platkin to immediately pursue all legal options to stop New York’s Congestion Tax. The MTA can’t just blatantly violate the federal directive. We must fight to protect Jersey families from New York’s cash grab.  

Second, I am writing to the New Jersey Department of Transportation asking them to bill New York’s MTA for any and all charges to Jersey families after tomorrow’s federal deadline. 

The New Jersey DOT should invoice New York every single week that they refuse to comply with the shutoff deadline — and reimburse all Jersey drivers for what they’ve paid in Congestion Tax. New York must return every single dime they are stealing from hard-working Jersey commuters. I’m also encouraging all Jersey families to track every single charge they receive from New York starting tomorrow.

Third, I’m sending a letter to E-ZPass, which is a consortium between New Jersey, New York and other states, calling on them to stop charging families who go south of 60th Street, beginning, tomorrow, March 21st. 

E-ZPass can’t just ignore a federal directive and help New York charge hardworking commuters this crushing Congestion Tax. E-ZPass knows that New York has a deadline on their Congestion Tax, so E-ZPass should stop collecting it. In short, I won’t give a pass to E-ZPass. 

I’m also calling on E-ZPass to fix their broken system that prevents Jersey commuters from challenging New York’s fraudulent charges. 

Right now, based on the calls we’ve been receiving from New Jersey drivers, it appears that you can only challenge incorrect charges from New York’s cameras if you got your E-ZPass through New York — not if you got it from New Jersey. If you got your E-ZPass here in Jersey and drive into New York, and they charge you an incorrect amount, you’re screwed. Instead of making life harder for our families, E-ZPass should start living up to its name.

Finally, as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus, I’ll never stop fighting to ensure that no one gets whacked with this ridiculous, regressive tax.

Earlier this Congress, I proudly introduced the bipartisan Anti-Congestion Tax Act, to prevent the Department of Transportation from awarding any new grants to MTA projects in New York until drivers from New Jersey and New York crossing into Manhattan receive exemptions from the Congestion Tax.

I’ve also co-led two bipartisan bills with my colleague from New York, Nicole Malliotakis — the Motorist Tax Abuse Act specifically prohibits congestion pricing in New York City, and the Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act, which requires the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct a full audit of the MTA to see how it has spent billions in federal assistance over the past five years.

The state and other parties in New Jersey, including here in Fort Lee, have also been in court fighting the Congestion Tax, focused on the environmental impact of increased truck traffic here in Northern New Jersey — and their cancer-causing pollution impacting our children and families here.  

Again, the MTA admitted in their own reports that their Congestion Tax changes traffic patterns, forcing more trucks — and with them, more cancer-causing pollution, including carbon monoxide nitrogen oxide, and carcinogens like formaldehyde — here at Fort Lee and the surrounding boroughs.

When it comes to fixing problems, the MTA only creates more. In 2023, the MTA spent tens of millions on a new intercom system that doesn’t work and lost 700 million dollars on fare skippers. According to a recent report, half of all MTA bus riders don’t even pay to ride. They wasted a billion dollars to expand the 2nd Ave subway stations and made them twice as large as experts say they needed to. The federal government gives the MTA billions of dollars a year — and they blow it all.

So, MTA, it’s time to pack it up. Enjoy your last hours screwing over hardworking commuters and families — and then move on. Let’s get back to our hundred plus year cooperative relationship with the Port Authority. Let’s focus on getting shovels into the ground and building more mass transit, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which I helped negotiate and write — and fought so hard to pass. Let’s continue investing more in mass transit, fix our roads, bridges, and tunnels, and build the Gateway Train Tunnel.  

It’s also why I’ll make sure the Port Authority isn’t stripped of the resources it needs to invest in our region’s infrastructure, where 20 percent of the nation’s GDP runs through. This is about Jersey pocketbooks and the environment. I said we would fight this till the end, and it looks like New York will ultimately lose at the final buzzer. The decision to keep the Congestion Tax cameras on is completely ludicrous. It’s literally highway robbery. I know that as long as we work together, here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us. Thank you, and may God bless you and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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