Toll increases are planned throughout New Jersey for the Turnpike, Parkway and the New York border

NEW JERSEY – Commuters in the Garden State will face higher costs next year as New York adopted a congestion pricing plan and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved another toll hike.

The NJTA’s 2025 budget includes a 3 percent increase on both the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transit Authority board approved a revised congestion pricing plan last week that was approved by the federal government. The introduction of the new toll is scheduled for January 5, 2025.

And the increases may not end there, as the Port Authority is reportedly looking to raise PATH fares by 25 cents and also increase tolls for using its bridges and tunnels.

Here’s a look at the approved and proposed increases for New Jersey commuters in 2025:

Parkway and Turnpike tolls are rising again

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority passed its $2.7 billion 2025 budget on Tuesday and tolls rose 3 percent for the fourth straight year.

The new fees begin January 1st on average approx a 16-cent increase for the Turnpike and an 8-cent increase for the Parkway, according to NJTA. The toll for most exits and entrances on the Parkway will increase by 3 cents.

The cost of traveling the entire length of the Turnpike, from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the George Washington Bridge, will increase by 62 cents.

This is the fifth toll increase since 2020, when turnpike tolls rose 36 percent and parkway tolls rose 27 percent. In the 2020 budget, the NJTA included the ability to increase tolls by up to 3 percent each year. They did this in 2022, 2023, 2024 and now in 2025.

This year’s toll increase took effect March 1 and averaged about 15 cents more on the Turnpike and 5 cents more on the Parkway.

Revised congestion pricing plan

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has claimed the new congestion fee will be enough to raise $15 billion for the financially struggling MTA. By 2027, a $9 fee per car would apply and apply to most vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. In an earlier proposal, the fee was $15.

Part of the revised congestion pricing plan includes immediate service increases for a number of bus routes in the outer boroughs.

“I am directing the MTA to significantly improve service on at least 23 suburban bus routes,” Hochul said at a news conference last week. “…This would mean that buses would run more frequently on these routes.”

Gov. Phil Murphy has vowed to fight the congestion plan in court, saying he strongly opposes “any attempt to push through a congestion pricing proposal in the final months of the Biden administration.”

“We strongly oppose a toll system that will place an unfair burden on our commuters,” Murphy said Friday. “Since the inception of this plan, New York and Washington have not engaged New Jersey in any meaningful way. We will continue to do everything we can to fight this unfair and unpopular plan in court.”

City Attorney Randy Mastro said the MTA is “a mismanaged mess” under Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber.

“Instead of getting his own financial house in order, Mr. Lieber is trying to balance the MTA’s books with an unfair and unpopular fee on hard-working New Jersey commuters that was poorly conceived and poorly thought out from the start,” Mastro said in an interview Opinion.

State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) called on the state to “fight back” and said New Jersey “should not stand idly by as commuters fall prey to the government’s immense greed that takes money out of their pockets.”

Pennacchio has urged state lawmakers to install slot machines at horse tracks and possibly build a convention center in the Meadowlands to rival New York’s Javits Center to bring revenue to the Garden State.

Port Authority crossings, PATH fare increase in agency’s 2025 budget

On November 14, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Board of Directors unveiled its $9.4 billion 2025 budget proposal. It included another toll increase and the first PATH fare increase since 2024. Starting January 12, PATH train riders would see a fare increase of 25 cents.

The proposal also includes a 25-cent increase for use of the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels during rush hours, the New Jersey Monitor reported. Two public hearings are scheduled on New Jersey’s PATH fare increase and toll increase plan. The first is December 3rd at 7 p.m. at the Hasbrouck Heights Meadowlands Hilton and the second is December 5th at 9 a.m. at 2 Montgomery St., 3rd floor, in Jersey City

An online public comment period is open until December 9th.