MTA and NJ still talking settlement terms in congestion pricing lawsuit with tolls slated to start in May
NY Post
The MTA and New Jersey officials are pushing forward with settlement talks that would end the Garden State’s lawsuit over New York’s coming and congestion pricing program for drivers heading to Midtown and Lower Manhattan.
The third sit-down between the warring sides over the controversial $15 toll is set to take place on Jan. 5 — and comes as MTA chairman Janno Lieber says he is hopeful the agency will still be able to begin charging drivers in May.
“The law is still the law of the state of the New York, as enacted” Lieber told reporters following the agency’s board meeting at its Financial District headquarters on Wednesday. “We’re continuing to work with everybody who has raised questions about how it’s going to be implemented.”
The MTA honcho declined to provide any details about the settlement talks, citing the ongoing litigation.
And he dodged questions about the mounting criticisms from elected officials representing suburban and outer-borough communities where auto ownership is common — including Mayor Eric Adams, who counts eastern Queens and Brooklyn as a key part of his political base and has vocally pushed for more exemptions to the toll in recent weeks.
“Among the many line items in my job description is not being a soothsayer about politics and elected official psychology,” he responded.
