Corzine May Sue NYC Over Congestion-Fee Plan
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) may sue New York City over a planned congestion-fee program for central Manhattan, but the program is facing doubts from lawmakers in the New York State Assembly, the New York Post reported Thursday.
State lawmakers held what was described as a contentious session on the plan Wednesday night, and the plan was on “life support,” the Post said.
The meeting was called by state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D) to gauge members’ positions on the program, the Post said.
Some lawmakers said they would consider supporting the plan, but only if some amendments are added, such as setting an environmental review and imposing a charge on New Jersey drivers now exempt from paying a fee, the Post said.
Corzine has threatened to sue the city if commuters from his state are forced to pay, the Post reported.
The New York City Council approved the plan Monday, but the Assembly has a deadline of next Monday to approve the plan or the city will risk losing about $350 million in federal funds to implement it.
The plan would set $8 fees for cars and $21 fees for trucks entering central Manhattan south of 60th Street between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Trucks with cleaner engines would get a break, with reduced fees of $7, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.
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