The rise in tolls on Port Authority of New York and New Jersey bridges and tunnels in September may have caused many commuters to leave their cars at home and switch to public transportation, early reports from the agency show.
About 890,000 fewer cars and trucks used the crossings from Sept. 19 through Nov. 22 compared with the number that did in roughly the same period in 2010, a 4 percent drop. During that period, ridership on PATH, the Port Authority subway connecting Manhattan and New Jersey, rose by about 560,000, or 3.7 percent, the agency said.
New Jersey Transit buses also had slight ridership gains, said a spokesman, John Durso Jr., though the agency could not provide actual numbers.
Figures for ridership on New Jersey Transit trains were incomplete, officials said, though early signs pointed to a modest increase.
On Sept. 18, cash tolls rose to $12 from $8 for the George Washington Bridge, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, and three crossings between New Jersey and Staten Island. (The toll is collected from cars coming into New York; going to New Jersey is free.)
E-ZPass tolls during peak travel times rose to $9.50 from $8. By 2015, the cash toll will be $15 and the E-ZPass toll will be $12.50.
About 3.5 percent more riders started using E-ZPass and, over all, the Port Authority received 20 percent more in toll revenue than it did the year before.
While advocacy groups like the Tri-State Transportation Campaign are pleased that use of public transportation is up, they also hoped it would give government agencies more reason to spend on mass transit.
“Shifting more transit is definitely a good thing for the economy and the environment,” said Veronica Vanterpool, associate director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “While transit across the region and especially across the Hudson River has seen tremendous growth in ridership, there hasn’t been a comparable level of financial investment in transit service.”
Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said the agency’s fleet of PATH trains could absorb the 4 percent increase in ridership. Mr. Marsico added that the agency recently replaced its fleet of 340 cars, with new ones that allow customers to enter and exit more quickly.
Over the next few years, he said, the Port Authority will also replace its mechanical switches with computers that will allow trains to run closer together.
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Bad news for drivers because less drivers means less revenue which means higher tolls in the future. The fact that they rely on the tolls for other projects & expenses & are not just collecting the cost per car to cross into NY (probably worth about $2.00) its gonna send the PA into a frenzy looking for more money & the only thing they will come up with is higher tolls. GET RID OF THE PA & THE PA POLICE DEPT!!!