NYC Cash Toll Payers May Face Big Hikes

The plan, which the MTA Board is expected to approve, would increase fees for drivers paying cash by up to 18%.

The plan is a

modified version of one outlined by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro. It would raise the tolls for resident discount E-Z Pass users 28 cents, and non-resident E-Z Pass users by 46 percent. 

This means that the cash toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge between Staten Island and Brooklyn would rise from $11 to $13, and Linda Barren, the President of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, said the increase would hurt Staten Island drivers, who can’t get off of the island without paying the tolls:

“It’s the worst possible time we could be raising anything, tolls or otherwise. I mean, we’re in the worst recession and people are just having a difficult time.”

If approved next week, the increase will go into effect on January 1^st. The MTA eventually plans to phase out its cash booths and change over to an all-electronic system.