NEWS |
173-00: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , December 14, 2000
The staff proposal would offer deep discounts to motorists using E-ZPass during off-peak hours, and discounts during peak periods. Off-peak drivers with E-ZPass would pay $4 at the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, and $3 at the agency's three Staten Island Crossings. E-ZPass users during peak hours would pay $6 at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, $5.50 at the George Washington Bridge, and $4.50 at the Staten Island crossings. The price differences reflect the relative availability of mass transit alternatives.
To encourage the use of E-ZPass, which has already helped speed traffic flow throughout the region, the toll for drivers paying with cash would rise to $7. The average auto toll would be $4.99, compared to the present $4 cash toll.
PATH, the Port Authority's rapid-transit system, would encourage use of mass transit by providing discounts for all multiple-trip tickets. Monthly commuter tickets would be available at a cost of $1.30 per ride. Less frequent users could buy two-trip, 10-trip or 20-trip tickets for $1.50 per trip. Cash users who buy one-way tickets would pay $2 a trip, creating a strong incentive for travelers to use PATH QuickCards.
The Port Authority last raised bridge and tunnel tolls in 1991. The PATH fare has been unchanged since 1987. Public hearings will be held in New York and New Jersey, beginning January 16.
Port Authority Chairman Lewis M. Eisenberg said, "Port Authority staff has prepared a proposal which deserves discussion and debate. Today, we have authorized public hearings, and we invite interested members of the public to make their voices heard. Once we have input from the public, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners will carefully weigh the matter and will make a formal recommendation to the Governors of New York and New Jersey.
"I want to emphasize that no decision has been made," said Chairman Eisenberg. "Any action the Port Authority Board takes would be subject to approval by the Governors."
Port Authority Executive Director Robert Boyle said, "Port Authority staff believes this proposal deserves serious consideration by members of the public, by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners and by the Governors. Traffic congestion is a serious and growing problem in the New York-New Jersey region, with an annual price tag estimated at $8.9 billion. It is time that we act decisively, before congestion impedes our region's economic growth and erodes our quality of life."
Mr. Boyle said that the Port Authority staff has also developed a five-year capital spending proposal that would generate $13 billion in transportation investments to improve the flow of people and goods throughout the region. The proposal includes a new fleet of PATH cars, providing greater reliability and replacing cars that are more than 30 years old. New PATH signal and fare collection systems will make PATH more dependable and help reduce lines and crowding in stations. Funding would also be provided for the completion of the AirTrain to Kennedy and Newark airports; new high-tech equipment to speed traffic flow on highways leading to Port Authority bridges and tunnels; and investments in ferries and rail freight.
"But the region cannot build its way out of the congestion problem," Mr. Boyle said. "The proposed toll and fare structure represents a historic shift by the Port Authority to a policy of congestion pricing - pricing the use of transportation assets to reflect demand. Staff has also proposed billions of dollars worth of investments in transportation systems, but capital investments alone - no matter how well-targeted or how necessary - are not enough.
"This is a carefully reasoned plan that seeks to reduce traffic congestion by providing a fine-tuned package of price incentives," he said. "At the same time, the plan redresses growing deficits at the Port Authority's mass transit facilities - the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the PATH rail transit system, which are critical parts of our network of interstate crossings. Everyone who crosses a bridge or tunnel between New Jersey and New York has a strong interest in the health of these mass transit facilities, without which interstate traffic would grind to a halt."
The plan varies the discount available to motorists according to the availability of mass-transit alternatives near a particular bridge or tunnel. At the three bridges connecting Staten Island and New Jersey, where there are no mass transit alternatives, the toll would actually fall from $4 to $3 during the off-peak hours. Likewise, tolls at the George Washington Bridge, where commuters have fewer options, would be lower than at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, where mass transit alternatives are more numerous.
"Some of the largest discounts would be offered to truck drivers to encourage them to use the tunnels and bridges during the overnight hours, rather than contributing to the frustrations of the rush-hour commute," Mr. Boyle said.
"Revenues from these toll and fare increases would give the Port Authority the financial capacity to carry out a $9 billion, five-year program of improvements. When completed, this program would bring $13 billion of transportation investments to residents of the region.
| E-Zpass AUTO Off-Peak | E-Zpass AUTO Peak | AUTO CASH | E-Zpass TRUCK per axle | E-Zpass TRUCK per axle Overnight | TRUCK CASH per axle | |
| HT/LT | $4.00 | $6.00 | $7.00 | $5.60 | $4.00 | $7.00 |
| GWB | $4.00 | $5.50 | $7.00 | $5.60 | $4.00 | $7.00 |
| SIB | $3.00 | $4.50 | $7.00 | $5.60 | $4.00 | $7.00 |
| Average Auto Toll = $4.99 | ||||||
"Taken together, the new pricing policy and our capital investments will strengthen the region's ability to grow as a hub of international business and travel. They will help to improve the quality of life for the region's residents, reducing both traffic congestion and air pollution, and ensuring that New York and New Jersey remain a place where people and businesses want to locate," said Mr. Boyle.
| Current | Proposed Scenario | Cost Per Trip | |
| One Trip (Cash) | $1.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Round Trip | $2.00 | $3.00 | $1.50 |
| Ten Trips | $10.00 | $15.00 | $1.50 |
| Twenty Trips | $20.00 | $30.00 | $1.50 |
| Forty Trips | $40.00 | N/A | ------ |
| Monthly | $40.00 for 46 trips | $60.00 for 46 trips | $1.30 |
The toll plan includes the following objectives: