At left, afternoon rush hour traffic on the helix of the Lincoln Tunnel. At right, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) arrives for former U.S. President Donald Trump's trial at Manhattan criminal court at the New York State Supreme Court on May 13, 2024.
© Seth Wenig/Pool via USA TODAY NETWORK + © Carmine Galasso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Staten Island, NY) – With congestion pricing upon us, some local elected officials are not giving up the fight. That includes Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis — who says she plans to work with President-elect Trump on trying to reverse the program. As of Sunday, January 5, most drivers are paying an average of $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street.
To date, legal efforts aimed at stopping congestion pricing have failed. A judge did order the MTA to clarify aspects of the environmental review that studied the impact of pollution for New Jersey and the outer boroughs — but that did not stop the plan from taking place.
Congresswoman Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island, feels there’s still a legal pathway to rescinding congestion pricing. It centers on the plan’s environmental impact — and the thought that trucks will look to bypass Manhattan altogether, adding pollution to New Jersey, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Malliotakis wants the incoming Trump White House to press the environmental impact aspect and push for a new, more comprehensive study.
Over the summer, Trump indicated his opposition to congestion pricing. Meanwhile, New Jersey is still party to that ongoing legal battle concerning specifics about additional pollution.
