‘Toll Trolls’ are at it again

From The Journal of Commerce

According to the Journal for Commerce, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved the set of increases, which will effectively more than double the current rates for trucks at bridges and tunnels over the next five years.  

Tolls for trucks using E-Z Pass payment tags will rise $2 per axle in September, or $10 for a five-axle vehicle. Tolls will rise an additional $2 per axle each December between 2012 and 2015, resulting in a total increase of $50 per five-axle truck over five years. 

A hefty penalty for paying in cash also goes into effect in September. Under the toll increase, trucks will pay a penalty of $3 per axle. A five-axle truck using E-Z Pass currently pays $40 during peak hours, $35 during off-peak hours and $27.50 during overnight hours on weekdays. The tolls apply only to eastbound crossings. 

“We think it’s terrible,” said Jeff Bader, president of the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers and of Golden Carriers in Hillside, N.J. “The timing is horrible, with the economy the way it is. This is going to make the port less competitive.” 

Tolls also will rise for automobiles using port authority bridges and tunnels and commuters using the agency’s PATH subway under the Hudson River. Those paying in cash will also be penalized. 

The port authority said the increases are needed to pay for capital projects including $700 million to replace suspension cables on the 80-year-old George Washington Bridge.