Port Authority voted Thursday in Jersey City to approve a proposal to increase tolls, fares and other fees at bridges and tunnels, airports and the PATH transit system.
The plan includes:
-Increasing tolls by $1 at the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, from $15 to $16
–Increasing Air Train fee from $5 to $7.75
–E-ZPass peak discount to be reduced from $2.50 to $2.25, off-peak discount to be reduced from $4.50 to $4.25
–PATH base fare will remain $2.75, but multi-trip discount to be reduced
–Adding a $4 per ride “ground access fee” for airport pickups in taxis and app-based for-hire vehicles, as well as a $4 drop off tax only for Uber/Lyft.
The plan will also eliminate some E-ZPass toll discounts for out-of-state drivers, and would end carpool breaks.
The plan would also increase the peak hour toll for a bus by 135% by 2026, compared to the passenger car rate.
The increases will pay for the $4.8 billion in additional projects added to the 10-year $32 billion capital plan. The projects include replacing the aging Newark Airport AirTrain monorail, funding the PATH improvement plan, planning work for a new Terminal 2 at Newark Airport and electric vehicle infrastructure.
The hikes will take effect in January.
(AP)