JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a 10-year, multi-billion dollar spending plan on Thursday that will impact the wallets of commuters.
Beginning in January, tolls for the agency’s bridges and tunnels are going up 3%. Over the coming years, the Port Authority will also phase out off-peak discounts for E-Z Pass users.
Meanwhile, the price per trip for taking the PATH train will increase gradually to $4.
“I’m a native New Yorker, and we had to deal with that price hike, and me thinking moving to New Jersey would make a difference,” commuter Gehanne Toure said.
It won’t be until 2029 when PATH fares increase by a dollar. But the rise in costs begin next spring, when the current $3 fare goes up a quarter to $3.25, increasing each year by a quarter until it reaches the $4 fare.
The fare hikes are all part of the Port Authority’s plan to pour $2 billion into improvements into the system.
“One of the biggest things that we were looking to do was to provide that direct service from Journal Square and Hoboken into the city on weekends,” said James Heitmann, COO of Port Authority.
“In addition to that, we added late-night Friday service and we also put a lot more service in the morning and afternoon peaks based on overcrowding.”
Besides expanding service every day of the week, the money will go towards infrastructure, like restoring all of the tracks, and adding anti-evasion gates to try to prevent commuters from skipping fares.
However, the fact that the fare will reach $4 in three years concerns many commuters like Rochelle Bryant.
“Now that’s an issue, $4 is a lot. The issue is that the salaries don’t compare with the increases of all the transits, that’s the thing,” Bryant said.
The Port Authority outlined its entire $45 billion capital improvement program across all of its transportation hubs. Next year, for instance, the fee for rideshare drivers entering airports will rise from $2.50 to $5, something causing outcry from that industry.
“Rideshare drivers are already struggling with their insurance, maintenance and gas,” one man said.
Some projects, like direct PATH service to Newark Liberty International Airport, will remain on the backburner for now.
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