New York, New Jersey Port Authority Toll Increase Hits Truckers Hard

Truckers doing business in New York and New Jersey will now have to dig deeper into their pockets.  On Sunday, Port Authority toll increases went into effect.

For the third time in five years, the Port Authority has increased tolls, and to make matters worse, tolls are expected to increase each December for the next two years.

The cash tolls for trucks on the George Washington Bridge went up $12 from $90 to $102, while E-ZPass car drivers only saw a 75 cent increase!

“Cars with E-ZPass tags will now pay 75 cents more when they cross the George Washington, Bayonne and Goethals bridges and Outerbridge Crossing, or go through the Lincoln and Holland tunnels,” CBS New York reported.

Trucks with 6 more more axels will now pay $78 for off-peak E-ZPass rates and $84 for peak E-ZPass rates.

Many groups lobbied against the rate hike.

“All consumers will suffer as truckers pass along the increased cost of doing business in our region,” AAA Spokesman Robert Sinclair said. “This toll hike plunges the knife deeper into the backs of motorists already overburdened by excess tolls, fees, surcharges, high gas prices and gas taxes and a nearly depleted state highway fund.”