Port Authority Holds Hearings On Toll/Fare Hikes; Decision Could Come By Friday

For those who are in the New York City metro area, now is your last chance to get your comments heard by the Port Authority before it makes its decision on a series of massive fare and toll hikes.

Here's the proposed fare and toll hikes:

George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing, Bayonne Bridge

Tolls are collected entering New York. No tolls are collected entering New Jersey.

Current peak hours: Weekdays 6-9 a.m., 4-7 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 12 noon - 8 p.m. Proposed peak hours: Weekdays 6-10 a.m., 4-8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Current off-peak hours: All other times and six holidays. Proposed off-peak hours: All other times.

Current weekday overnight hours for trucks: 12 Midnight - 6 a.m. weekdays. Proposed weekday overnight hours for trucks: Sunday – Thursday beginning at 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

Class 1 vehicles - two axles, single rear wheels: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $6.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $8.00 to $12.00 in 2011 and to $14.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $8.00 to $15.00 in 2011 and to $17.00 in 2014.

Class 2 vehicles - two axles, dual rear wheels: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $14.00 to $26.00 in 2011 and to $30.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $16.00 to $28.00 in 2011 and to $32.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $11.00 in 2011 and increase to $15.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $16.00 to $34.00 in 2011 and to $38.00 in 2014.

Class 3 vehicles - three axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $21.00 to $39.00 in 2011 and to $45.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $24.00 to $42.00 in 2011 and to $48.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $16.50 in 2011 and increase to $22.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $24.00 to $51.00 in 2011 and to $57.00 in 2014.

Class 4 vehicles - four axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $28.00 to $52.00 in 2011 and to $60.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $32.00 to $56.00 in 2011 and to $64.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $22.00 in 2011 and increase to $30.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $32.00 to $68.00 in 2011 and to $76.00 in 2014.

Class 5 vehicles - five axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $35.00 to $65.00 in 2011 and to $75.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $40.00 to $70.00 in 2011 and to $80.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $27.50 in 2011 and increase to $37.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $40.00 to $85.00 in 2011 and to $95.00 in 2014.

Class 6 vehicles - six axles or more, or combination of vehicles totaling at least six axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $42.00 to $78.00 in 2011 and to $90.00 in 2014, with $13.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $15.00 in 2014, up from $7.00; E-ZPass peak will increase from $48.00 to $84.00 in 2011 and to $96.00 in 2014, with $14.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $16.00 in 2014, up from $8.00; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $33.00 in 2011 and increase to $45.00 in 2014, with each additional axle over six remaining at $5.50 in 2011 and increasing to $7.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $48.00 to $102.00 in 2011 and to $114.00 in 2014, with $17.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $19.00 in 2014, up from $8.00.

Class 7 vehicles - recreational vehicles and Class 1 and 11 vehicles with trailers: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $11.00 to $21.00 in 2011 and to $25.00 in 2014, with $11.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $13.00 in 2014, up from $5.00; E-ZPass peak will increase from $13.00 to $23.00 in 2011 and to $27.00 in 2014, with $11.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $13.00 in 2014, up from $5.00; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $13.00 to $29.00 in 2011 and to $33.00 in 2014, with $14.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $16.00 in 2014, up from $5.00.

Class 8 vehicles - two-axle buses and mini buses: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $6.00 to $20.00 in 2011 and to $22.00 in 2014.

Class 9 vehicles - three-axle buses and mini buses: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $6.00 to $20.00 in 2011 and to $22.00 in 2014.

Class 11 vehicles - motorcycles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $5.00 to $9.00 in 2011 and to $11.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $7.00 to $11.00 in 2011 and to $13.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $7.00 to $14.00 in 2011 and to $16.00 in 2014.

Carpool Plan - Class 1 or 11 vehicles with three or more people: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $2.00 to $6.00 in 2011 and to $8.00 in 2014; and E-ZPass peak will increase from $2.00 to $6.00 in 2011 and to $8.00 in 2014.

GREENPass - eligible low-emission Class 1 vehicles: E-ZPass off-peak will remain at $4.00 in 2011 and increase to $6.00 in 2014; and E-ZPass peak will increase from $8.00 to $12.00 in 2011 and to $14.00 in 2014.

The Port Authority Staten Island Bridges Plan – The plan will increase from $80 to $120 for 20 trips in a 35-day period at the Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne Bridge in 2011; and the plan will increase to $140 for 20 trips in a 35-day period in 2014.

PATH Fare Proposal:

The basic PATH fare will increase from $1.75 per trip to $2.75 in 2011. The fare for 10-, 20- and 40-trip SmartLink cards will increase from $1.30 per trip to $2.10 in 2011. The 1-day pass will increase from $6.00 to $8.25 in 2011. The 7-day pass will increase from $18.00 to $29.00 in 2011. The 30-day pass will increase from $54.00 to $89.00 in 2011. The senior fare will remain $1.00.

The toll and fare increase in 2011 is expected to result in approximately $720 million of additional annual revenue and the toll and fare increase in 2014 is expected to result in approximately $290 million of additional annual revenue.

In sum, fares on PATH would increase from $1.75 to $2.75 and the 30-day pass would increase to $89 from $54 ($35 increase). If the whole idea is to get people out of cars and onto mass transit, you're cramming down an additional $35 per month in fares, which will actually reduce ridership as people seek alternatives.

Perhaps more troublesome is the toll hikes, which could be seen as violative of the Commerce Clause for infringing on interstate commerce. The George Washington Bridge is part of the I-95 corridor, which means that it is a critical hub along the entire Northeastern United States. Toll hikes there directly affect transportation of goods and the hikes could be seen as an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone attempted to take the Port Authority to court over the unreasonableness of the hikes - businesses that do business in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut would be most affected, but other businesses would be hit by such tolling.

I doubt that Gov. Christie or Gov. Cuomo would allow the proposal to go forward as stated, but they'd probably relent on a hike at 50% of what was stated because both governors are using the Port Authority to get projects pushed forward at a time when both New Yorkers and New Jerseyeans are railing against further tax hikes; it's a way Gov. Christie can get around having to hike gas taxes or other taxes to get transportation funding in New Jersey and Gov. Cuomo has similarly situated himself as holding the line on tax hikes in New York.

Yet, there has been little the Port Authority has done to limit cost overruns on Ground Zero rebuilding despite claims to have done so in the past. The PATH transit hub is seriously overbudget, and the Freedom Tower was also overbudget. Now that these projects are well underway, the Port Authority is using the fare hikes to cover some of those cost overruns and to put the increased revenues towards other regional projects that are necessary such as raising the Bayonne Bridge for post-Panamax traffic, replacing structural components on the George Washington Bridge, and PATH infrastructure improvements.

Neither New York nor New Jersey seems fiscally capable of putting additional money towards these projects directly, so the Port Authority is raising the tolls instead. Yet, all people in the region are going to be adversely affected as the costs of goods and services rise as the transportation costs are passed on to the end users.

The hearings are providing construction trades the venue to support the hikes, since they'd be the largest beneficiaries, but truckers are opposed since they're going to take it on the chin. So too are those using PATH.

Have your say here.