Toll hikes and bad E-ZPass news at these New Jersey crossings

🔴 Higher tolls start Jan. 4, with peak E-ZPass rates rising to $16.79.

🔴 Off-peak drivers lose ground with a discount being phased out.

🔴 It funds a $45B capital plan, but commuters will shoulder the cost for years.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is axing a key discount for E-ZPass users and increasing tolls to pay for its $45 billion plans.

Starting Jan. 4, the Port Authority will increase its already sizable tolls by 3% for all bridges and tunnels under its jurisdiction.

That includes the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Holland Tunnel.

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Higher E-ZPass and toll-by-plate rates at major crossings

During peak hours, tolls for cars with E-ZPass will rise to $16.79. That's up from $16.06 now.

The off-peak toll for E-ZPass isn't much better, rising to $14.73 thanks to the same 3% hike plus another 25 cents. For cars without E-ZPass, the toll-by-plate rate will hit $22.38.

Off-peak E-ZPass discount set to disappear

The tolls will, in part, help the Port Authority fund its capital plan for the next decade.

To fund the $45 billion project, another change will hurt the pockets of off-peak drivers with E-ZPass.

Starting January 2027, the Port Authority will phase out the off-peak discount for cars and motorcycles. The current $2 discount will drop by 50 cents per year over four years until it disappears completely.

Toll hikes tied to Port Authority’s $45B capital plan

On Thursday, the massive 2026-2035 capital plan was approved unanimously by the Port Authority's commissioners.

It includes a new Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport and a new EWR AirTrain. In 2023, a brand new Terminal A opened at the airport. It cost $2.7 billion.

READ MORE: New Jersey minimum wage rises to nearly $16 in 2026

PATH train riders should expect more direct service and more reliable trains as the project goes on. But that's not free either. Next summer, PATH fares will increase by 25 cents, and then hike by the same amount each January through 2029.

Also on the list for redevelopment under the 10-year plan are a brand new Midtown Bus Terminal, the completion of renovations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and upgrades for LaGuardia Airport.

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