New Jersey
New York governor puts congesting pricing on hold • New Jersey Monitor
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that she has directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to put an indefinite hold on implementing its controversial congestion pricing plan, saying she cannot “add another burden to working and middle-class New Yorkers or create another obstacle to our continued recovery.”
The congestion price plan was slated to begin June 30. Drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street would have been forced to pay a $15 toll, in addition to tolls for using bridges and tunnels to enter the city.
The news was met with cheers from a group of New Jersey Democrats who have voiced opposition to congestion pricing, including Gov. Phil Murphy. The Murphy administration filed a lawsuit last July arguing the feds failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review before giving the plan their OK.
“I want to thank Governor Hochul for pausing the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan’s Central Business District. Although we have had a difference of opinion with our colleagues in New York in congestion pricing implementation, we have always had a shared vision for growing our regional economy, protecting our environment, and creating good-paying jobs on both sides of the Hudson River,” Murphy said in a statement Wednesday.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-05) also celebrated Hochul’s decision to drop the state’s “outrageous congestion tax.” Gottheimer, who represents parts of Bergen County home to many commuters, has been one of the loudest voices opposing the plan, saying it would increase traffic and pollution on this side of the Hudson.
“We threw the kitchen sink at New York — and then some — and got it done. Even when some said the fight was over, we kept going. Well today, Jersey families, their wallets, and the environment won big,” he said. “As I always say, don’t mess with Jersey.”
New York would have been the first city in the nation to implement congestion pricing. Similar pricing schemes exist in London, Milan, and Singapore. Supporters of congestion pricing say it decreases the number of vehicles on the road, leads to more people using public transit, and reduces pollution.
The plan was first signed into law in 2019 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Revenue from the tolls was intended to fund public transit in New York (none would go to NJ Transit). Hochul on Wednesday said “circumstances have changed” since the plan was introduced, most notably the pandemic.
“While our recovery has been stronger and swifter than anyone imagined, it is by no means complete. And we cannot afford to undercut this momentum, and I won’t allow this delicate recovery to be jeopardized,” she said.
She noted many workers are commuting into the city for just two or three days instead of five, with subways packed Tuesdays to Thursdays but much less so on Mondays and Fridays. And while the idea behind congestion pricing was to generate more revenue and shift commuters to public transit, she laid out another possibility — people avoiding the city altogether, for work and leisure.
Commuters might tell their bosses they need to work fully remote, or families visiting on the weekend might skip the trip to the city, she said. An additional cost to enter Manhattan would hurt its recovery even more, she added.
The Regional Plan Association, a tri-state environmental organization, called Hochul’s move a “betrayal to New Yorkers and our climate.” Delaying the plan will also delay critical transit projects like improving subway lines and electrifying buses, said Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the association.
Talya Schwartz, president of SafeStreetsJC, said the group had been looking forward to congestion pricing, hoping it would reduce the number of cars headed to Manhattan that clog Jersey City streets daily.
“The cost of delaying congestion pricing means more crashes and unsafe streets, more buses stuck in traffic, and all of us breathing dirty air,” she noted.
The New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Angus Crookshank.
He will join the team at morning skate on Friday morning.
The center has played 17 games with the Utica Comets (AHL) this season, with five goals and two assists. He has the second-most goals on Utica, behind Xavier Parent’s six.
Crookshank has played 21 NHL games over the past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, recording two goals and two assists.
Months after the mayor of Lumberton, New Jersey, was arrested after allegedly driving drunk with her son in the car, a grand jury indicted her on charges of not protecting her child, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police in Lumberton had responded to the home of Lumberton Mayor Gina LaPlaca after a concerned resident called 9-1-1 to report that she was driving erratically on March 17, 2025.
According to police, the incident happened at about 6:11 p.m. after law enforcement officials were sent a video that allegedly showed a vehicle swerving out of lanes while driving and, at one point, nearly hitting a utility pole.
Court documents claim that in an interview with police, LaPlaca admitted that she had been drinking and said she drove the vehicle to pick up her son from daycare.
Also, according to court documents, officers administered a field sobriety test and LaPlaca “appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the offense.”
During a search of LaPlaca’s car, officers reported finding an open container of alcohol.
LaPlaca was charged with drunk driving, endangering the welfare of a child, child abuse and other related charges.
The Mayor is expected to be arraigned on Dec. 8, 2025.
A blast of Arctic air is set to freeze New Jersey Thursday, bringing with it snow and the potential for dangerous snow squalls, according to the latest forecast.
The cold front moves through the state Thursday and could bring some snow showers along and north of I-80, National Weather Service forecasters said.
“While this should generally be not impactful, the snow squall parameter is not zero, so a few squalls reaching the far northern part of our area cannot be ruled out,” the National Weather Service said.
Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Squalls can cause conditions to change suddenly, creating danger for those on the road.
“Major highways and secondary roads can be coated in snow, and visibility can be drastically reduced in a matter of seconds, creating slippery and dangerous driving conditions,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus said. The best option is to avoid driving during squalls; otherwise, it’s recommended to leave the highway and wait for squalls to pass.
Find out what’s happening in Across New Jerseyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The rest of the state will see brisk winds and frigid temperatures.
By daybreak Friday, it should start to snow. However, the snow will be light and focus more on the southern portion of the state. Those along the coast will see a mix or just rain, forecasters said. There will be a sharp cut-off for precipitation, according to the National Weather Service, which looks to be along I-195. Most snow accumulations will remain south of that, though there is not a lot expected.
“By Friday night, the low will quickly depart and move into the western Atlantic causing most precipitation to cease,” National Weather Service forecasters said. “However, some isolated areas of light snow or rain may linger into Friday night, especially for areas near the coast.”
Temperatures will warm slightly for the weekend, but still remain below normal.
By the middle of next week, a clipper-style storm may bring some snow again to New Jersey.
Here’s the latest forecast.
North Jersey
Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 3 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 12. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
Friday: A slight chance of snow after 1 p.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 27. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Friday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 26
Central Jersey
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 39. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 17. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday: A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday Night: A chance of snow before 10 p.m., then a chance of snow and freezing rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.
South Jersey
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light north after midnight.
Friday: A chance of snow, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday Night: A chance of snow before 10 p.m., then a chance of snow and freezing rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32.
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