
Hudson River tolls set to go up again on Sunday, with highest at $126
Traffic approaches the George Washington Bridge from the New Jersey side. Port Authority tolls will increase on Sunday, raising the price to $15 cash for a passenger vehicle. (Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
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on December 01, 2015 at 2:02 PM, updated December 01, 2015 at 2:03 PM
The final bite of the Port Authority's toll increase will come early Sunday morning, when the cash toll increases to $15 for passenger vehicles at the Hudson River and Staten Island crossings.
Like a little lump of coal in commuter's Christmas stockings, reminders of the upcoming toll hike came on the same day the authority previewed the $7.9 billion operating and capital budget for 2016 on Monday. Tolls and fares are predicted to make up 36 percent of the authority's revenues in 2016.
This is the final year of a multi-part hike was originally approved in August 2011 and first took effect that September. The four following increases have all taken place during December, including the increase to a $14 cash toll last year.
The toll hike is expected to put more jingle in Port Authority cash registers next year. Officials are forecasting higher toll revenues of $123 million, for a total of $1.637 billion, resulting from the toll increase and predicted higher traffic volumes of 114.9 million vehicles at the bridges and tunnels next year.
Drivers using E-Z Pass drivers get a break, with passenger vehicle drivers paying an off-peak rate of $10.50, and $12.50 during the commuting peak.
Drivers of big trucks will pay the most, $126 cash, including $21 per axle for trucks with more than six axles. Truckers using E-ZPass get a break, paying $102 for crossing during off peak hours, $93 if they travel on weeknights and $108 for driving during peak hours
The 2016 budget is 2.8 percent higher than the 2015 budget, which officials attribute to costs to phase in operations of the World Trade Center and the PATH transportation hub. The board of commissioners are scheduled to vote on the budget on Dec. 10.
Revenue at the airports is expected to increase by $108 million, due to higher fees, more passengers and new leases.
The World Trade Center also is contributing to the revenue pot, with $67 million in revenues forecast next year.
Two of the largest expenditures is $1.461 billion for debt service and $1.202 billion for aviation.



