In today’s episode of D10/11, we uncover what happens when journalism is shut out of power—and why that silence matters. D10/11 signed up for a stakeholder meeting on congestion pricing mitigation funds in Orange, New Jersey, then abruptly uninvited. When we asked why, we were told to wait. Instead, we decided to talk.
Lo Sontag is joined by Damien Newton, former Tri‑State Transportation Campaign New Jersey coordinator, founder of LA Streetsblog, and current Executive Director of the California Streets Initiative, for a wide‑ranging conversation on New Jersey transportation policy, congestion pricing, regional equity, and why journalists are stakeholders—not neutral bystanders.
We examine how redlining, disinvestment, and racialized dispossession in Newark, Orange, and East Orange created today’s displacement threats—and how exclusion from decision‑making perpetuates harm. This is not an accident. It’s a crash: of dignity, voice, and democratic participation.
The MTA’s congestion pricing program, administered by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), is reshaping the New York–New Jersey region. But New Jersey communities are too often informed last—if at all—about policies they live with every day. The program’s $100 million in place‑based mitigation funding is meant for working‑class, overburdened communities—not financial district insiders.
We break down where that money is supposed to go, including:
Newark: $5.7M
East Orange: $1.8M
City of Orange: $0.9M
If congestion pricing is truly about public good, communities must be at the table from day one. Start with dignity. Design for inclusion. Audit for harm.
