The new mid-tier rate is expected to bring in $24 million in additional revenue annually. People who have a registered E-ZPass account but do not properly put their tag up will be charged $8.36. The MTA will now implement a mid-tier rate to encourage drivers to properly display their E-ZPass tag. FasTrak will issue an invoice to the vehicle’s registered owner following the first toll crossing. What we count on is for customers to flip a switch on their tag to indicate they have at least three passengers in their vehicle,” said Mark Young, vice president of the Long Island Rail Road. Pay a FasTrak Toll Invoice As of January 2021, tolls incurred at Bay Area bridges will be included on a Toll Invoice when a toll is not electronically collected through the use of a FasTrak toll tag, License Plate Account, or One-Time Payment. “This is a situation that has become difficult to manage at the agency in a cashless environment. Overall, the E-ZPass toll on major MTA crossings will be raised from $6.12 to $6.55, and the Tolls-by-Mail rate will increase from $9.50 to $10.17.Įlimination of the carpool program is expected to save the MTA $1.4 million in operating expenses, and provide $2 million in revenue annually, Staten Island Live () reported. The Verrazzano discount for Staten Island residents will not be eliminated, after lawmakers secured an additional $2.5 million in the state budget to maintain the toll rate for Staten Islanders. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)Ĭrossing MTA bridges and tunnels are going to become more expensive this upcoming Sunday, April 11, as fare hikes will be implemented.įor passengers who take the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the carpool discount has been eliminated. It is asking Congress for another $8 billion to get through 2024 without major cuts.The sun sets behind the western tower of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York. Still, the MTA has a long way to go for financial security. The increases to the tolls will bring the MTA $62 million this year, and $116 million next year. "I think Staten Islanders should not be paying for bridge at all because we are trapped on the island and now we have to pay for it.” It’s very important to have a discount for Staten Island residents," Gorelik said. Nevertheless, it helped Oleg Gorelik, and his family of five when they visited his parents in Brooklyn. One perk for Staten Island drivers the MTA did eliminate isa discounted $1.70 toll for carpool trips. If they would have got rid of that I’m pretty sure a lot of people would have left Staten Island," Alvarado said. “The resident discount is a huge, huge cost savings. The MTA kept the discount for Staten Islanders who drive over the Verrazano bridge, but it will go up to $2.95. It’s probably, too, most expensive borough to commute to, just any small increase makes a big difference," Alvarado said.ĭrivers without an E-ZPass will pay $10.17, 67 cents more to cross.Ī new toll of $8.36 will be in place for drivers who have E-ZPass but the tag fails to connect. "Just living on Staten Island is expensive. "Monthly, average about $300 bucks, a little over $300 a month," Alvarado said. While it may sound like small change, it adds up for daily commuters, like Edgar Alvarado, whose commute takes him over the Verrazzano Bridge. The 7% hike going into effect in April means tolls on the major bridges and tunnels will increase 43 cents for E-ZPass users to $6.55. “The planned increase will help us maintain essential services throughout the MTA system, it’s also important to recognize that vehicle traffic has rebounded strongly since the height of the pandemic," MTA Chairman Pat Foye said Thursday.ĭepending on the day, vehicle traffic can be as high as 90% of pre-pandemic levels, while as low as 30% on mass transit on average. MTA kept the Staten Island resident discount for the Verrazzano Bridge, but canceled a carpool discount.Tolls on major bridges and tunnels will go up to $6.55 with E-ZPass.Toll hikes will go into the effect in April.
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