New Jersey’s Leaders Celebrate Shelving of Congestion Pricing

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s surprising decision on Wednesday not to start tolling drivers entering Manhattan this month set off an immediate celebration among political leaders in New Jersey. But transit advocates warned that the indefinite delay of congestion pricing was no victory for the state’s beleaguered commuters.

Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat like Ms. Hochul, had gone so far as to sue the federal government to stop or slow implementation of the tolling scheme, which would have charged as much as $15 per car entering Manhattan below 60th Street. A decision in that case was expected soon, but it was unclear on Thursday whether one would be needed.

“We would have fought it until the end,” Mr. Murphy told reporters. He said he had thanked Ms. Hochul when she called him on Wednesday to explain her decision.

Congestion pricing “would have put an enormous burden on our commuters and it would not have eliminated pollution,” Mr. Murphy said. “It would have displaced it from Manhattan into Hudson and Bergen Counties.”

Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who represents northern New Jersey and has been one of the most vocal opponents of congestion pricing, was still triumphant on Thursday.

“We’ve been throwing everything at this for a long time,” he said. “This was a huge win for hardworking families in New Jersey.”