New Jersey drivers soon will have to pay more if they go to New York City. And this one's a double whammy.
Port Authority announced that new toll rates will go into effect starting this Sunday, Jan. 5. The toll to enter New York via the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, the George Washington, Bayonne and Goethals bridges, and the Outerbridge crossing will increase $0.68. Drivers using EZ-Pass will pay $16.06 instead of $15.38 during peak hours and $14.06 instead of $13.38 during non-peak hours.
Some of these drivers are also going to be impacted by congestion pricing, which starts the same day. This measure will affect any driver entering what is being called the Central Business District (CBD), which stretches from 60th Street in Manhattan and below, all the way down to the southern tip of the Financial District.
The newly reduced peak toll will be $9.
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Here are some things to know if you plan to come into New York by car after Jan. 5:
What are the new toll rates?
Peak Hours
Weekdays: 6 a.m.-10 a.m., 4-8 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
U.S. & World
Off-Peak Hours
All Other Times
Overnight Hours for Trucks
Sundays-Thursdays, 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning
| TOLLS ARE COLLECTED ONLY ENTERING NEW YORK. NO TOLLS ARE COLLECTED ENTERING NEW JERSEY. | |||||||||||||
| CLASS | VEHICLE TYPE | # OF REAR WHEELS | # of AXLES | EASTBOUND TOLL ONLY | EASTBOUND TOLL ONLY | EASTBOUND TOLL ONLY | EASTBOUND TOLL ONLY | TOLLS BY MAIL ALL HOURS | |||||
| OFF-PEAK HOURS | PEAK HOURS | TRUCKS WEEKDAY OVERNIGHT HOURS | |||||||||||
| 1 | VEHICLES WITH TWO AXLES & SINGLE REAR WHEELS(Includes Two Axle Recreational Vehicles with Single Rear Wheels & No Additional Axles in Tow) |     |   | 2 | $14.06 | $16.06 | N/A | $18.31 | |||||
| 2 | VEHICLES WITH TWO AXLES & DUAL REAR WHEELS(Includes Two Axle Recreational Vehicles with Dual Rear Wheels) |    |   | 2 | $41.36 | $43.36 | $38.36 | $49.36 | |||||
| 3 | VEHICLES WITH THREE AXLESOr Combination of Vehicles Totaling Three Axles† |   | | 3 | $62.04 | $65.04 | $57.54 | $74.04 | |||||
| 4 | VEHICLES WITH FOUR AXLESOr Combination of Vehicles Totaling Four Axles† |   | | 4 | $82.72 | $86.72 | $76.72 | $98.72 | |||||
| 5 | VEHICLES WITH FIVE AXLESOr Combination of Vehicles Totaling Five Axles† |   | | 5 | $103.40 | $108.40 | $95.90 | $123.40 | |||||
| 6 | VEHICLES WITH AT LEAST SIX AXLESOr Combination of Vehicles Totaling at Least Six Axles† |   | | 6 & Up | $124.08Additional Axles$20.68 each | $130.08Additional Axles$21.68 each | $115.08Additional Axles$19.18 each | $148.08Additional Axles$24.68 each | |||||
| 7 | CLASS 1 OR 11(INCLUDING CLASS 1 RECREATIONAL VEHICLES) WITH TRAILER(Minimum Three Single Wheel Axles) |   | 3 & Up | $26.99Additional Axles$12.93 each | $28.99Additional Axles$12.93 each | N/A | $38.74Additional Axles$20.43 each | ||||||
| 8 | TWO AXLE BUSES & MINI BUSES*(Seating Cap. = 10 or More) |   | 2 | $15.50 | $18.00 | N/A | $28.00 | ||||||
| 9 | THREE AXLE BUSES AND MINI BUSES*(Seating Cap. = 10 or More Business Accounts Only) |   | 3 & Up | $15.50 | $18.00 | N/A | $28.00 | ||||||
| 11 | MOTORCYCLE |   | 2 | $13.06 | $15.06 | N/A | $18.31 | ||||||
| DISCOUNT PLANS | ENROLLMENT REQUIRED | GREEN DISCOUNT PLAN+ (Eligible Low Emission Class 1 Vehicles) | 2 | $10.56Additional Axles$12.93 each | $16.06Additional Axles$12.93 each | N/A | N/A | ||||||
| GREEN DISCOUNT PLAN+(Eligible Low Emission Class 7 Vehicles) | 3 & Up | $23.49Additional Axles$12.93 each | $28.99Additional Axles $12.93 each | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| STATEN ISLAND BRIDGES PLAN (PASI) (Class 1, 7 & 11 Vehicles) | 2 | $8.03 if 3+ Trips taken;$14.06 if Only 1 or 2 Trips takenAdditional Axles $12.93 each | $8.03 if 3+ Trips taken;$16.06 if Only 1 or 2 Trips takenAdditional Axles $12.93 each | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
Will I have to pay the congestion price toll?
The toll applies to the most congested part of Manhattan, south of Central Park. It will vary depending on the time and whether a car has E-ZPass, the electronic toll collection system used in many states.
During peak traffic hours -- 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends — most cars, SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks during with an E-ZPass will be charged $9, once per day.
During the overnight hours, the tolls will go down to $2.25.
Drivers without an E-ZPass will receive bills by mail and pay more: $13.50 for peak hours and $3.30 overnight.
Motorcyclists will pay half the amount that cars pay during peak. Drivers of buses and trucks, depending on their size, will pay more.
There are some exceptions. Certain emergency vehicles, school buses, people with disabilities who can’t take public transportation, and the people who transport them are all exempt. Low-income drivers who pay the toll 10 times in a month can apply for a 50% discount on trips they take the rest of the month.
There's also a little break for those who have already paid a toll to enter Manhattan at the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel during peak hours. They should see a credit on their E-ZPass of up to $3 for passenger vehicles and more for trucks and buses.
Still, with tolls for bridges and tunnels from New Jersey set to go up in the new year, a driver coming via the Holland Tunnel during peak traffic could pay $22 even with the credit.
"I know they wanna rush it though. They wanna get this started on Sunday, that’s their plan," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who has been one of New Jersey's most vocal opponents of the toll plan.
Gottheimer has said cars will avoid the Lincoln Tunnel and use the George Washington Bridge instead, creating pollution in Bergen County.
"Carcinogens like formaldehyde will plume into the lungs of northern New Jersey families," Gottheimer said.
But the MTA pushed right back, saying in a statement, "Nobody in their right mind should take transportation advice from the New Jersey politicians who have woefully failed to manage transit in their state."
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber exclusively told NBC New York that he was "confident that on the merits of the law, congestion pricing will be able to begin."
Other tolls increases in New Jersey
Starting on Jan. 1, other New Jersey drivers will face increased costs for their travel as well, whether or not they are heading into the city.
Going through a tollbooth on the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway will cost 3% more. That's after the Turnpike Authority, which operates both roadways, built what it calls an indexing system into its budget back in 2019. That included an automatic 3% increase annually, and is now in its fifth year.
The increase means a ride down the NJ Turnpike from the George Washington Bridge to the Delaware Memorial Bridge will go up from $20.70 to $21.35 for drivers paying cash. E-ZPass holders will save about a dime, as the cost for them on that same ride will go from $20.62 to $21.24.
One way on major lines for the Garden State Parkway — like Bergen, Essex and Asbury Park — will go up from $2.20 to $2.30. Tolls at most ramps will increase by three cents as well.
AAA‘s Robert Sinclair said the toll increases are a necessary evil for drivers in the Garden State, as maintaining the roads helps keep their cars out of the shop.
"These things have to be paid for — 22% of major roads in poor or mediocre condition. That says a lot," Sinclair said.
Gas prices may be under $3 a gallon to start 2025, but the state's gas tax also increased by 2.6 cents a gallon.
PATH fare costs are going up for the first time in 10 years, from $2.75 to $3 starting Jan. 12.
