Drivers who cross the Hudson River into Manhattan on bridges — including the George Washington Bridge — and via tunnels and PATH could be hit with the largest-ever toll and fare increase next month, according to a plan announced by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last Friday, according the Fort Lee New Jersey Patch reported.
The plan calls for rising tolls for E-ZPass drivers from $6 to $10 during off-peak hours and from $8 to $12 during peak hours, beginning in September. An additional $2 increase would be tacked on in 2014, doubling off-peak E-ZPass fares over the three-year period.
In addition, PATH fares would also increase from $1.75 to $2.75 under the plan.
In unveiling the plans Friday, the Port Authority said it was faced with three unprecedented challenges at once: a recession “that has sharply decreased revenue below projections,” nearly threefold increases in post-9/11 security costs and the cost of rebuilding the WTC; and “the need for the largest overhaul of facilities in the agency’s 90-year history,” according to the Patch report.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who could veto the plan, issued a joint statement Friday, expressing “obvious and significant concerns."
The Port Authority will vote on the unprecedented toll and fare hikes on Aug. 19 after hearings in both states.