MTA – NBC New York

Just days before the nation’s first congestion charge begins in New York, the pricing plan cleared its final hurdle in a U.S. District Court ruling that heard a lawsuit from the state of New Jersey on grounds of environment. While the judge ruled that the Federal Highway Administration will have to step in, the MTA tells NBC New York it has the green light to go ahead with starting congestion pricing this weekend, saying the judge’s questions with the plan don’t amount to a order.

New York’s congestion pricing law is scheduled to begin seconds after midnight on January 5. Under the congestion pricing plan, cars would pay a maximum fee of $9 between 5am and 9pm on weekdays and between 9am and 9pm on weekends. Off peak would be 75% off – $2.25.

The New Jersey lawsuit was in the tens of millions of dollars, predicting environmental damage if traffic worsened on the other side of the river. In response to the lawsuit, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she offered money to settle it — but no settlement was reached.

“We have made several offers to settle this lawsuit, very generous offers,” Hochul previously said.

The judge’s ruling came in a 72-page decision issued late Monday.

“We are pleased that on virtually every issue Judge Gordon agreed with the federal court in New York and rejected New Jersey’s contention that the environmental assessment approved 18 months ago was deficient,” said the president and CEO of the MTA, Janno Lieber, in a statement. Most importantly, the decision does not interfere with the scheduled implementation of the program for next Sunday, January 5.”

The MTA predicted there would be 10 percent fewer cars and trucks after the toll began.

MTA executives have promised that billions of dollars raised from congestion pricing will pay for system upgrades across the region.

A week before the New Jersey ruling, a federal judge in New York denied a different lawsuit seeking to halt the start of congestion pricing.

Responding to a lawsuit from the United Federation of Teachers, the New York City and Manhattan Trucking Association, Judge Lewis Liman issued a 111-page ruling in that case, denying the request for a temporary injunction.

“Plaintiffs fail to establish a likelihood of success on the merits on any claim,” the judge wrote in his conclusion.