February 26, 2020
Google/Street View
A toll hike is being proposed for the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, but New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials have not disclosed the amount of the potential increase.
Drivers who regularly travel on the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway should get ready for a toll hike coming down the pike.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board approved this week a motion to establish public hearings on a proposed toll increase, according to NJ Advance Media. But the amount of the proposed increase has not been announced.
Turnpike Authority officials said more details will be provided by the time of the public hearings, slated for March 18 and 19.
“The program is still in development,” Turnpike Authority spokesman Tom Feeney told NJ Advance Media. “Today was to approve a public hearing. Between now and then, we’ll have details.”
The Turnpike Authority, which oversees both roadways, has not raised toll prices since hiking them by 53% in 2012, according to NJ Advance Media.
The announcement came after the Turnpike Authority said that its $1.8 billion budget would not include a toll increase.
Tolls comprise the Turnpike Authority's main source of revenue. The authority earned more than $1.6 billion in revenue from tolls during 2019 – about 86% of its revenue.
Toll increases are commonplace in Pennsylvania, where the state's Turnpike Commission has approved 12 consecutive toll hikes. The latest was a 6% increase that took effect in January 2020.
That increase raised the common toll for a passenger vehicle from $2.30 to $2.50 for cash customers and from $1.40 to $1.50 for E-ZPass drivers. Class-5 tractor trailers saw their toll prices jump from $3.70 to $4.00 for E-ZPass users and from $16.30 to $17.30 for cash users.
Follow Pat & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @Pat_Ralph | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Pat's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
