Toll Booths Will Go Extinct At GWB, Lincoln And Holland Tunnels

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — By the end of 2021, toll booths will finally go the way of the dodo at three major crossings from New Jersey to New York, officials say.

On Thursday, the Port Authority approved a $240 million project that will bring “cashless open-road tolling” to the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln/Holland tunnels. The move will finally bring the trio of heavily used crossings up to “21st century standards,” officials said.

Here’s how it works, Port Authority officials explained:

“Under cashless tolling, all travelers drive at roadway speeds under an overhead gantry equipped with tolling equipment and traffic sensors. E-ZPass account holders have their toll debited from their account, while motorists without E-ZPass will have an image of their license plate captured so that a toll invoice can be mailed to the registered vehicle owner.”

The cashless system will be operational by the 4th quarter of 2020 at the Holland Tunnel, the first quarter of 2021 at the Lincoln Tunnel, and by the 3rd quarter of 2021 at the George Washington Bridge, officials said.

It’s not a new concept for the Port Authority, which first rolled out a cashless tolling system at the Bayonne Bridge in February 2017 (see below video) and at the Outerbridge Crossing in April 2019. The system will be activated at the Goethals Bridge later this summer, officials said.

When complete, the new cashless system will mean a safer and quicker trip for drivers, officials said.

The Port Authority estimated that cashless tolling will reduce crashes by 75 percent at toll plazas of the three Hudson River crossings, which equates to about 975 fewer crashes each year. It’s also expected to reduce travel time for commuters, saving nearly 201,000 driving hours annually and 333,000 gallons of fuel per year.

In addition, cashless tolling will have environmental benefits such as reduced vehicle emissions of 2,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide, officials said.

No toll collectors will be laid off, Port Authority officials told NJ.com.

Port Authority vice chair Jeffrey Lynford said the agency is trying to align its toll system with the introduction of New York City’s congestion pricing program.

• See related article: Congestion Pricing Likely After NY Leaders Agree Budget Plan

“Implementing this state-of-the-art toll collection system will benefit travelers, improve safety and benefit the environment across the region’s bridges and tunnels, following the MTA’s cashless tolling conversions and a similar system installation at the new Mario Cuomo Bridge,” Lynford said.

Port Authority chair Kevin O’Toole said Thursday’s action will complete the agency’s efforts to bring its tolling facilities “up to 21st century standards.”

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