Are You Ready For Another Fare Hike? UPDATE: Approved

New York metro area commuters should brace themselves for yet more fare hikes. This time, the Port Authority is preparing to hit PATH commuters with the first hike in a couple of years. The Port Authority, however, is scaling back the hit on commuters who use multiride cards. The money is being used to upgrade train equipment and will go to build a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey as well as $8.4 billion for Ground Zero construction.

The Port Authority will reduce its proposed 50-cent PATH fare hikes before it votes today to raise tolls on Hudson River crossings, agency officials said Thursday.

The bi-state agency also will scale back its plan to raise the price of a 20- or 40-ride PATH card from $1.20 to $1.50 per trip.

Otherwise, the Port Authority's plan to raise tolls on Hudson River crossings will remain intact, officials said.

Cash tolls would rise from $6 to $8 during peak hours. The agency also plans to eliminate the $1 discount for peak E-ZPass tolls on the bridges and tunnels, raising that price to $8, as well. Off-peak E-ZPass motorists will pay $6, up from the current $4.

Peak hours are 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 8 p.m. on weekends.

There is also a special discounted rate if you drive a low emission vehicle that gets 45 mpg.

UPDATE:
The Port Authority approved the fare and toll hikes.

Motorists using the Hudson River and Staten Island crossings will pay $8 in tolls during peak hours beginning in early March, under a package of increases approved today by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

After scant public opposition during the past two months, the Port Authority's board unanimously authorized the bridge and tunnel toll increases from the current $6 peak-hour cash levies. Drivers using E-ZPass will fare even worse: They will lose their $1 peak-hour discounts and have to pay the same full $8 rate as cash customers.

Off-peak E-ZPass discounts, however, will be $2.

PATH rail fares also will jump a quarter to $1.75 per ride under a revised plan; The agency had originally proposed increasing the base fare to $2.

The increases will take effect in March.