You need two people to agree on something to have a deal. And apparently Gov. Phil Murphy didn’t have that with his counterpart in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when he announced Wednesday the two states came to a “conceptual understanding” on congestion pricing. Two sources familiar with the talks between the governors told NJ Advance Media that Cuomo said he didn’t strike a deal with Murphy. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, But Murphy said Thursday he’s sticking by what he said on Wednesday. “My comments were based explicitly in principal to principal discussions with Gov. Cuomo. As I said, there’s a conceptual understanding, as I put it,” Murphy said at a news conference Thursday on a separate issue in Trenton. Pressed again whether there was a deal, Murphy responded: “Conceptual understanding are the words I’ve used and I’ll continue to use.” New York recently approved a first-in-the-nation plan that will impose fees, still undetermined, on drivers entering Manhattan south of 61st Street, possibly starting in 2021. As soon as the measure was approved Murphy spoke out against it, saying it would amount to a “double tax” for New Jersey commuters who travel to the city for work. On Wednesday, Murphy announced a preliminary deal that Jersey drivers would get credit toward congestion pricing fees in Manhattan for the tolls they pay at the three Hudson River crossings. The governor said he and Cuomo reached an agreement that drivers will get credit for congestion pricing fees for tolls paid, including those charged at the George Washington Bridge. “We came to conceptual understanding if congestion pricing moves forward, it will be in a way that is fair to New Jersey,” Murphy said Wednesday at a press conference in Bergen County. "New Jersey commuters will be treated fairly at all Hudson River crossings, including the George Washington Bridge.” But within hours, the New York MTA — which Cuomo effectively controls — said there is no deal. MTA chairman and CEO Patrick Foye did not mince words: “With all due respect to Gov. Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about." Cuomo, meanwhile, has said he didn’t strike a deal with Murphy, according to the two sources. Cuomo’s office declined to comment on Thursday. NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.<doc-sep>New Jersey and New York have a preliminary deal where Jersey drivers will get credit toward congestion pricing fees in Manhattan for the tolls they pay at the three Hudson River crossings, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday. Murphy said he and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached an agreement that drivers will get credit for congestion pricing fees for tolls paid including those charged at the George Washington Bridge/ “We came to conceptual understanding if congestion pricing moves forward, it will be in a way that is fair to New Jersey,” Murphy said during a news conference in Hackensack. "New Jersey commuters will be treated fairly at all Hudson River crossings, including the George Washington Bridge.” The GWB was a question because the bridge is north of the congestion pricing zone, where drivers entering below 60th Street would pay a fee, designed to alleviate traffic in the most densely-traveled part of the Manhattan while raising funds for primarily subway improvements. A preliminary 2017 plan called for credits given for Holland and Lincoln Tunnel tolls. “It’s a big deal that the GWB is treated in the same way as a Holland and Lincoln Tunnel,” Murphy said. Two New Jersey congressmen announced plans to introduce a bill this week that would withhold federal transportation grants from New York if the state did not negotiate with New Jersey, especially about GWB tolls. Murphy originally criticized the plan as a double tax on New Jersey commuters crossing the Hudson River. “Bergen County commuters would have borne the brunt if (the GWB) had been treated different than tunnels,” Murphy said. “They can breathe easier. There is much more work to do, but we are starting in a much better place. I thank Cuomo for his partnership.” Congestion pricing, which is forecast to raise roughly $1 billion annually for the cash strapped New York subway system, is scheduled to begin in 2021. An MTA and NYC DOT panel is supposed to make the final decisions in 2020 about exemptions to the congestion pricing fee which could be $12 for passenger vehicles. Under the agreement, New Jersey would have a representative on that panel, Murphy said. “The MTA will determine congestion pricing and will be doing a traffic study over the next two years‎. They will consider all crossings as well as New Jersey crossings," said Patrick Muncie, a Cuomo spokesperson. “No conclusions will be reached by the MTA until all studies are completed.” Officials also plan to pursue converting Port Authority Hudson River crossings to cashless toll collection, Murphy said, which will make congestion pricing possible. The Port Authority has converted two of its three Staten Island crossing to cashless tolling. Authority officials declined to comment. "The Port Authority is long overdue in its transition to electronic tolling which saves commuters and the agency time and money,” Muncie said. A proposal Murphy brought up earlier about sharing congestion pricing revenue with NJ Transit and PATH to handle additional commuters, was not discussed, Murphy said. “The two pieces that were the most important and urgent was equal treatment and that New jersey has a seat at the table,” he said. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters<doc-sep>TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Congestion pricing will affect commuters in both New York and New Jersey. So has a deal been worked out between the two states? That depends who you ask. Deal or no deal? There seems to be confusion between the power players on whether or not an agreement has been made when it comes to congestion pricing in New York City, set to start in 2021. Gov. Phil Murphy says New Jersey residents shouldn’t worry, he’s made it a deal to save drivers from paying twice, CBS2’s Meg Baker reported. MORE: Exactly How Will NYC Congestion Pricing Fees Work? “Everybody commuting from New Jersey gets treated equally, don’t get taxed doubly, including on the GWB,” Murphy said. “New Jersey will have a seat at the table as this evolves over the next several years.” But Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that’s not the case and nothing is set in stone. Adding more confusion, the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Association says the agency has “no idea” what Murphy is talking about. Web Extra: Gov. Phil Murphy Discusses Congestion Pricing Deal Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye released a statement. “With all due respect to Governor Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about. No agreement has been reached with New Jersey or anyone else on credits, exemptions or carveouts,” Foye said. “Do you feel like Patrick Foye with the MTA is calling you a liar when it comes to this deal, saying he has no idea what you are talking about?” Baker asked Murphy. “You have to ask the New York side… my words come directly from a conversation with Governor Cuomo,” Murphy said. Starting in 2021, drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street will be charged a toll. That means New Jersey drivers could be hit twice. MORE: New Jersey Lawmakers Push Back Against Cuomo’s Congestion Pricing Plan “It’s already expensive enough to go over the toll. You know, they keep raising prices,” said New Jersey resident David Lerner. “I find myself picking random people off the side of the road to get the discount.” Murphy met with Cuomo last week and after he said Cuomo guaranteed a credit or discount to toll payers at all Hudson River crossings. But Thursday, Cuomo reiterated that no conclusions will be reached by the MTA until studies are completed. “I think it’s a game. I don’t know, it sounds like a game. I’m not sure it’s a game they play,” said Fairview resident Tommy Popov. The MTA’s study is expected to take two years. Murphy says it will be a long, complicated process, but he will not back down. Murphy says he and Cuomo did not discuss whether New Jersey would get any of the money generated by the plan. Asked if he'[ll bring it up in the future, Murphy said “We’ll see.”<doc-sep>
New York MTA officials said there is no deal about congestion pricing, despite Gov. Phil Murphy’s statement on Wednesday that New Jersey and its neighboring state came to an agreement to give Garden State drivers credit for tolls paid at bridges and tunnels. MTA chairman and CEO Patrick Foye did not mince words. “With all due respect to Gov. Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about,” Foye said in a statement released late Wednesday night. “No agreement has been reached with New Jersey or anyone else on credits, exemptions or carveouts because the MTA will determine the Central Business District tolls and other terms once the Traffic Mobility Review Board has made its recommendations and traffic and congestion analysis," Foye added. Murphy’s office said both governors have discussed congestion pricing. “With all due respect to Mr. Foye, Governor Murphy has had positive discussions with Governor Cuomo on congestion pricing and Governor Murphy’s remarks from earlier (Wednesday) reflect those conversations,” Murphy spokesman Mahen Gunaratnaa said. The MTA and a spokesman for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Thursday morning. Foye’s statement seems to contradict Murphy’s statement Wednesday that that he and Cuomo reached an agreement that New Jersey drivers will get credit for congestion pricing fees for tolls paid, including those charged at the George Washington Bridge. “We came to conceptual understanding if congestion pricing moves forward, it will be in a way that is fair to New Jersey,” Murphy said at a press conference in Bergen County. "New Jersey commuters will be treated fairly at all Hudson River crossings, including the George Washington Bridge.” Murphy characterized the agreement as a big deal. The bridge was a question because it is is north of the “congestion pricing zone,” where drivers entering below 60th Street would pay a fee. The plan is designed to alleviate traffic in the most densely-traveled part of the Manhattan while raising funds to primarily finance subway improvements. A preliminary 2017 plan called for credits given for Holland and Lincoln Tunnel tolls, but did not mention the GWB. A Cuomo spokesman said Wednesday that New Jersey crossings would be considered by a panel that would recommend exemptions. “The MTA will determine congestion pricing and will be doing a traffic study over the next two years‎. They will consider all crossings as well as New Jersey crossings," said Patrick Muncie, a Cuomo spokesman said Wednesday. “No conclusions will be reached by the MTA until all studies are completed.” Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.