9 hours Ago By Carl Campanile
Garden State Gov. Phil Murphy is launching billboard ads to promote a $20 million program that will compensate New York-based firms that allow their employees who typically commute across the Hudson to instead work in New Jersey — and avoid the hated new $9 congestion toll . Companies located in the Manhattan toll zone south of 60th Street will receive grants from New Jersey to allow its residents to work remotely or via satellite office west of the Hudson River.
“From the beginning, I vowed to fight congestion pricing, because New York should not balance its budget on the backs of New Jersey families,” Murphy told The Post. “I signed legislation establishing a grant program that would incentivize businesses in states like New York to reassign their New Jersey resident employees to work in our state. This would not only cut down on costs and travel time for commuters, but would keep their tax dollars in New Jersey.
” He added, “Our fight against congestion pricing isn’t over and we won’t allow another state to line its coffers with our hard-earned money.” Billboards touting the New Jersey Re-assigning In State Employees Program — NJ RISE — will appear Monday at the 39th Street entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, on the West Side Highway at West 155th Street, and on the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Major Deegan Expressway and near the Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge. The ads will read, “Aren’t you tired of this? You deserve better.
NEW JERSEY RISE can help you work from New Jersey.” The ads are sponsored by the NJ Economic Development Authority. Along with the billboards, the state will launch online ads across social media and websites.
The digital ads will show an image of a smartphone with an open text message reading: “Commuting to New York costs me an arm and a leg. You deserve better. Ghost your commute.
NJ RISE can help you work from New Jersey.” Additional ads will pop up on billboards, trains, and taxis on both sides of the Hudson in the coming weeks, Murphy’s office said. New Jersey had filed a federal lawsuit to block the new congestion toll, but a judge gave New York and the MTA, which administers the toll, the green light to proceed on January 5.
Judge Leo Gordon, sitting in Newark, urged officials from both sides of the Hudson to compromise and settle the case, which would involve New York offering a break to New Jersey motorists on paying the new toll. But the talks broke down. New York provided New Jersey a $3 discount for its drivers crossing into Manhattan to try to offset the new $9 Midtown toll, but Garden State officials scoffed the break wasn’t adequate — noting the toll will keep going up in future years — to $15.
New York officials said the 33% discount would be increased along with any toll hike. New York Gov. Kathy initially blocked a proposed $15 toll to enter Midtown Manhattan last June.
She later backed a lower $9 toll following the November election. Hochul and supporters claim the first-in-the-nation congestion toll will help curb gridlock in Manhattan while generating revenues for the MTA’s capital construction program..
