NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls on NY Gov. Kathy Hochul to freeze congestion pricing until NJ Transit strike is over

New Jersey Rep.Josh Gottheimer called on New York Gov.

Kathy Hochul to freeze the city’s controversial congestion pricing until the NJ Transit strike that’s wreaking havoc on commuters is over, he said Friday.“I’m asking for Gov.Hochul to freeze congestion tax for people who are having to drive in [to the city] now and, of course, our tolls in New Jersey because I’ve heard from a lot of people [who say] their costs are up,” the Democratic congressman said during a press call.“We need to give them some relief until this is over,” he said, adding the tax should be scrapped until trains are running again.He also demanded a full reimbursement of tolls — including from the Port Authority, E-Z Pass, and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority — for New Jersey riders who have a NJ Transit monthly unlimited trips pass.NJ Transit failed to reach a contract agreement with locomotive engineers Wednesday, triggering the first major transit strike to hit the Garden State in more than 40 years.The strike was a travel nightmare Friday for the roughly 70,000 riders who go into Manhattan daily, as some train stations sat eerily empty.

Up to 350,000 commuters statewide may have also been left stranded by the halted service.Gottheimer, who last year called Hochul’s revived congestion pricing plan “insane,” said the strike has also put local businesses and commuters in “a tough spot.”“We can’t afford to have our great transit system frozen,” he said, urging both sides to stick out negotiations.“Grab that pot of coffee and stay at the table.”Gottheimer, a moderate representing the bedroom communities that border the Jersey side of the Hudson River near the George Washington Bridge, added that, “Congress should step in” if the parties can’t work it out on their own.Hochul’s congestion pricing plan charges a $9 toll for vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours, generating tens of millions of dollars in monthly revenue....