NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Officials in the U.S. state of New Jersey have asked a federal judge to block New York's plan to begin charging drivers to enter Manhattan's busiest roadways starting Sunday.
In a late-night court filing on Tuesday, lawyers for New Jersey argued that plans by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to commence its congestion pricing program as scheduled would cause "irreparable harm."
"Without enforceable mitigation measures to alleviate significant environmental impacts in New Jersey, traffic increases and attendant air quality impacts will surely result from the congestion pricing scheme," the filing stated.
"The legal maneuver is the latest effort by New Jersey to stop the tolling program before it starts," reported The New York Times on Tuesday about the move.
The new 9 U.S. dollars toll would be the nation's first congestion pricing fee, and the revenue generated would be used to improve public transportation in New York City and its suburbs.
