What will it cost to drive from New Jersey to New York? Find out here.
When you pay an extra buck to cross the Hudson River next week remember this… it’s all according to plan.
Starting on Sunday, Dec. 6, drivers in the North Jersey will face increased tolls at several bridges and tunnels, part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s multi-year plan to increase revenue at the crossings that serve an estimated 115 million vehicles every year.
Tolls are slated to increase at the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing.
For most commuters – those who drive vehicles with two axles and single rear wheels – cash tolls will increase from $14 to $15. Those using E-ZPass will see a hike from $11.75 to $12.50 during peak hours (Weekdays: 6 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.; Weekends: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and a hike from $9.75 to $10.50 during off-peak hours.
Motorcyclists will see a cash toll hike from $14 to $15. Those using E-ZPass will see a hike from $10.75 to $11.50 during peak hours, and a hike from $8.75 to $9.50 during off-peak hours.
Carpool tolls for class 1 or 11 vehicles (3 or more passengers) will increase from $5.75 to $6.50, while carpool tolls for class 7 vehicles will increase from $14.50 to $16 (with an additional 75 cents per axle).
Truckers who drive vehicles with six or more axles will face a cash toll hike from $114 to $126, including an additional $21 per axle, up from the current $19 per axle.
See the full listing of toll increases and previous toll amounts since 2012 here.
ALL PART OF THE PLAN
The Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved Sunday’s toll change in 2011 as part of a multi-year plan to increase revenue at the agency’s bridges and tunnels.
Sunday’s hike will be the last approved toll increase as part of that plan, offering commuters in the area a respite unless the board greenlights another change to the toll schedule.
In its recently released projected budget for 2016, the Port Authority estimated that toll revenues at all of its crossings will come to $1.63 billion next year.
In 2011, Port Authority administrators provided the following explanation for the toll hikes on its website:
“Faced with multiple unprecedented challenges at once – an historic economic recession that has sharply decreased Port Authority revenues below projections; steep increases in post-9/11 security costs, which have nearly tripled, and the overall cost of the World Trade Center rebuilding, and the need for the largest overhaul of facilities in the Port Authority’s 90-year history, on August 5, 2011, the Port Authority announced proposed bridges and tunnels toll and PATH fare increases and public hearings to be conducted in connection therewith.”
- See related article: Port Authority Tolls To Increase Thanksgiving Weekend 2013
- See related article: Toll Hikes Take Effect: Going To NYC Costs More
