Port Authority raises tolls in NJ, NY
NEW YORK CITY - Starting now, Port Authority will raise tolls on bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey.
Commuters using the Bayonne, Goethals, George Washington, or Outerbridge Crossing bridges or passing through the Holland or Lincoln tunnels beneath the Hudson River will be charged an additional 63 cents.
"I remember you used to do the carpool for $0.25 cents," said a Fort Lee driver.
Note: All Port Authority crossings are cashless and no longer accept cash toll payments.
"With wages and stuff going up it should be okay," said another driver. "It’s the cost of living in New York."
Peak hours:
For E-ZPass users during peak hours, the toll will increase to $15.38 from $14.75, marking a 4.3% hike.
Port Authority peak hours for crossing:
- 6 a.m. - 10 a.m.
- 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on weekdays
- 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. on weekends
Off-peak hours:
Off-peak tolls will climb to $13.38 from $12.75, reflecting a 4.9% increase.
Drivers without a New York or New Jersey-issued E-ZPass will continue to pay the highest toll, now set at $17.63, representing a 3.7% increase from the current toll of $17.
Overnight hours for trucks:
- Sundays-Thursdays, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning
Vehicles approach the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken, New Jersey, US, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. New York's plan to charge drivers entering midtown Manhattan is a brazen money grab, New Jersey's senior US senator said after the Garden State sued to bl
Port Authority's toll adjustments are tied to inflation, with the upcoming increase based on a 2019 resolution and a 3.7% rise in the Consumer Price Index from September 2022 to September 2023.
RELATED: NYS Thruway hike set for Jan. 1: What E-ZPass users should know
This toll hike precedes the implementation of congestion pricing, a plan designed to introduce a secondary toll for drivers immediately upon exiting the Holland or Lincoln tunnels and entering Manhattan's central business district below 60th Street.
The plan, aimed at easing traffic in Midtown and Lower Manhattan while generating funds for MTA capital projects, proposes a $15 base toll for cars entering the designated area.
Vehicles approach the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, US, on Monday, July 24, 2023. New York's plan to charge drivers entering midtown Manhattan is a brazen money grab, New Jersey's senior US senator said after the Garden State sued
Currently undergoing state-mandated public review, the plan faces legal challenges from New Jersey politicians.
Congestion pricing is set to begin no later than June.
"I don't go into New York anymore," said a driver. "That's it."
Port Authority's inflation-based toll adjustments also extend to AirTrain fares, with Kennedy Airport and Newark Airport AirTrain fares set to rise by 25 cents in March, reaching $8.50.
Note: AirTrain rides within the airports, including between parking lots and terminals, remain free.
"It's a shame for the people who really have to go in it's too expensive," a driver told FOX 5. "It's out of control."
Also remember that the Port Authority's bridge and tunnel tolls just apply to drivers entering New York City, and there is no toll for those returning to New Jersey.