New Jersey’s Democrat governor sues Biden administration over plan to reduce traffic congestion

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has sued the Biden administration over the recent approval of a New York plan designed to reduce traffic congestion.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday against the Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, where Murphy alleges the agencies violated environmental laws. 

"After refusing to conduct a full environmental review of the MTA’s poorly designed tolling program, the FHWA has unlawfully fast-tracked the agency’s attempt to line its own coffers at the expense of New Jersey families," Murphy said in a statement. "The costs of standing idly by while the MTA uses New Jersey residents to help balance its budget sheets are more than economic."

Earlier this year, the Federal Highway Administration modeled a plan after New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which charges commuters a major fee to enter Manhattan in order to limit congestion and improve the air quality. 

Murphy said that this plan brought "unjust taxation" to New Jersey residents. 

"At the MTA’s own admission, its tolling program would divert traffic and shift pollution to many vulnerable New Jersey communities, impacting air quality while offering nothing to mitigate such considerable harm," he continued in the statement. 

"Today we stand as a unified front against this reckless scheme and reaffirm our commitment to combat the unjust taxation of our hard working residents by other states," Murphy concluded.