New Jersey drivers already pay tolls to enter Manhattan via Hudson River crossings. What if they had to pay more on top of that?

New York is poised to implement congestion pricing in Manhattan's core, from 60th Street south. Under the proposal, cars would be charged $11.52, one way, to enter the zone. The fee would raise hundreds of millions of dollars a year to fix the New York City subway, as well as reduce the number of vehicles on city streets and their emissions.

"Using this system is a way to make the commute more efficient," said Thomas Prusa, an economics professor at Rutgers University.

It's not clear, however, what impact that plan could have on New Jersey.

"It still may be the right policy," Prusa said, "but optically, it looks terrible."

Last year, through November, 43.2 million passenger vehicles crossed the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey into Manhattan, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Another 14.4 million crossed through the Lincoln Tunnel, and 13.1 million through the Holland Tunnel.

The cash toll at the three crossings is $15 one way. With an E-ZPass tag, it's $10.50 off-peak and $12.50 during peak hours.

That itself is a form of congestion pricing, said Robert Puentes, president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation in Washington.

Though the intent of congestion pricing is to add tolls to three East River crossings that currently are not tolled, New Jersey commuters could face a double whammy that New York drivers coming into Manhattan from the outer boroughs would not.

"It is bewildering that these proposals aren’t considering the impact on New Jersey commuters," Puentes said. "They don’t have a legislative say in Albany, obviously."

The Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan is well over capacity. NJ Transit trains at New York Penn Station are frequently crowded. Congestion pricing would help fund improvements to transportation in New York City, but New Jersey commuters may never see a penny.

Congestion pricing fees already imposed on taxis and on-demand rides have created a backlash. Taxi drivers and medallion owners protested outside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Manhattan office on Sunday, hours after the new per-ride fees took effect.

Though the fees are more modest than those envisioned for passenger vehicles — $2.75 for Uber and Lyft rides, and $2.50 for yellow cabs — the footprint is more expansive, applying across Manhattan south of 96th Street.

The fees are projected to raise $400 million a year for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Fees from passenger cars and trucks would raise an additional $800 million to $1.1 billion annually, according to the Fix NYC advisory report issued in January 2018.

Trucks would pay $25.34 one way to enter the zone south of 60th Street. Both cars and trucks would be charged the fees starting next year.

"That makes sense for New Yorkers," Puentes said.

As part of the Fix NYC panel Cuomo convened in 2017, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign analyzed the impact on New York's outer boroughs and outlying counties in the MTA service region. It didn't assess the impact on any of New Jersey's counties.

"All of these conversations around metropolitan commuting patterns have to take a metropolitan perspective," Puentes said. "The state lines are arbitrary for commuters."

One possibility is to exempt cars entering Manhattan's core through the Lincoln and Holland tunnels. A 2017 proposal by a group called MoveNY included that exemption.

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Still, a driver who enters Manhattan through one of the Hudson River tunnels and then crosses into Brooklyn or Queens over one of the East River Bridges pays the toll going one way. Even with an exemption for the Hudson tunnels, the congestion fee would still apply coming back.

The supporters of congestion pricing say it can help reduce vehicle emissions, improving the city's air quality. They also say it would make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. However, the congestion fee also raises issues of income inequality.

A high-priced corporate lawyer may benefit from the plan if it shortens the commute by as little as 15 minutes. A housekeeper who makes $11 an hour has more to lose.

"It is basically more of a burden for low-income people," Prusa said. "This tax is fairly regressive."

After years of debate, New York would be the first U.S. city to adopt congestion pricing.

Puentes and other planning experts note that congestion pricing has been implemented successfully in cities around the world, including Singapore, London and Stockholm.

In the United States, metropolitan areas have managed congestion with high-occupancy toll lanes on crowded highways, charging variable prices depending on the time of day.

Los Angeles and Seattle are both considering congestion pricing plans.

"This is a viable strategy used around the world," Puentes said. "These pricing strategies are very popular, but they have to be done right."