Once again the MTA is raising tolls on all of the river crossings in Metro NY.
Most crossings are going up about .50 cents to a dollar for cash payers, and slightly less for EZ Pass.
The new rates go into effect at 2 am ET on March 22, 2015.
Passenger car toll increases:
Throgs Neck / RFK Bridge /Midtown Tunnel
(Cash / EZ-PAss)
$7.50 / $5.33 increased to $8 / $5.54
Verrazano Bridge (one way tolls)
$15 / $10.66 increased to $16 / $11.08
To put this in perspective of inflation, I started commuting in about 2005, 10 years ago. At that time, the toll rates were $4 each way for the major crossing, double that for the Verrazano. That means in 10 years, we have seen a 100% increase, doubling the toll rate at the crossings. More information here.
Offical rates and more info on MTS' website here:
http://web.mta.info/mta/news/hearings/2015FareTolls/FaresBT.html
Making the Hell of Commuting More Like Commuting Purgatory
Showing posts with label EZ Pass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EZ Pass. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2015
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
NY Metro Tolls Infographic
I apologize that this is from May, but it’s too cool
to not post. And since its only 3 months old, the odds are strong that the
tolls have since tripled. In addition,
this doesn’t reflect the reduced EZ Pass rates, which are only in effect on
non-peak hours, on days that begin with T while the planets are aligned in the
southern sky.
Via @districtdrive via VerySmallAray (
Friday, August 19, 2011
Life in the Cash Lane
I made a discovery today that horrified me. As I pulled into the toll booth on the Throgs Neck, I was wondering why the gate hadn’t yet tripped- I looked up, and my heart sank.
I then remembered where my EZ Pass was: Firmly affixed to the windshield in my wife’s CR-V.
See, I have been gone for the last two weeks, and my car has sat in the driveway collecting mounds of bird crap and rusty rotors. I was out west for business, and then we took the kid on vacation, and loaded up her car. She let her EZ Pass tag expire, so we used my tag and GPS for the trip.
But you know what the worst part about this is? It’s a Friday. I need to add at least an hour of time to my commute tonight to accommodate for all of the weekend travelers who clog the cash lanes on their way to their weekend destinations. Have you ever attempted the inbound GWB on a Friday for the cash lanes? This is going to be a nightmare. This is of course if I remember to actually go into the correct lane, as my lane choices are pretty much an ingrained force of habit at this point.
Today I think we all learned something. First, it’s that EZ Pass is worth it. There is always a fight if it should be mandatory for metro NY’ers, and the answer is a resounding YES. After seeing what life is like without it, including the waiting, the higher prices, and the sheer frustration, I’ll never forget it again. Additionally, a lot of time spent idling and polluting the environment could be cut back if it was mandated. I also learned that the NJ turnpike still uses tickets. Who knew? They actually charge me to drive one hundred yards from the beginning of the Turnpike to my exit ramp.
So look for me today - I’ll be the guy sitting in line with all the minivans in the cash lane, the black car with all the bird crap on it. But that’s another story.
[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Today at the NJ turnpike. Until this moment, It had been about 9 years since I have actually had to snag a toll ticket. Shooting a picture while moving and taking a ticket a the same time as piloting a car through a toll plaza is actually a lot harder than it looks."]
[/caption]
I then remembered where my EZ Pass was: Firmly affixed to the windshield in my wife’s CR-V.
See, I have been gone for the last two weeks, and my car has sat in the driveway collecting mounds of bird crap and rusty rotors. I was out west for business, and then we took the kid on vacation, and loaded up her car. She let her EZ Pass tag expire, so we used my tag and GPS for the trip.
But you know what the worst part about this is? It’s a Friday. I need to add at least an hour of time to my commute tonight to accommodate for all of the weekend travelers who clog the cash lanes on their way to their weekend destinations. Have you ever attempted the inbound GWB on a Friday for the cash lanes? This is going to be a nightmare. This is of course if I remember to actually go into the correct lane, as my lane choices are pretty much an ingrained force of habit at this point.
Today I think we all learned something. First, it’s that EZ Pass is worth it. There is always a fight if it should be mandatory for metro NY’ers, and the answer is a resounding YES. After seeing what life is like without it, including the waiting, the higher prices, and the sheer frustration, I’ll never forget it again. Additionally, a lot of time spent idling and polluting the environment could be cut back if it was mandated. I also learned that the NJ turnpike still uses tickets. Who knew? They actually charge me to drive one hundred yards from the beginning of the Turnpike to my exit ramp.
So look for me today - I’ll be the guy sitting in line with all the minivans in the cash lane, the black car with all the bird crap on it. But that’s another story.
[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Today at the NJ turnpike. Until this moment, It had been about 9 years since I have actually had to snag a toll ticket. Shooting a picture while moving and taking a ticket a the same time as piloting a car through a toll plaza is actually a lot harder than it looks."]
[/caption]
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Electronic signs and the impatient commuter
Isn’t technology wonderful? It seems just a few years ago, we actually had to guess how long it would take us to go from point A to point B, and now we have these nifty electronic signs to tell us the approximate time to our destination – and sometimes they even work.
This entry is inspired by a road sign that I have been eagerly anticipating - the “average travel time to the Throgs Neck Bridge” (TNB) sign on the Grand Central parkway. This sign finally came on line at the beginning of this week, and to tell you the truth, I have mixed emotions.
On one hand, I am happy to have this reference just in case the Clearview (295) is totally backed up /flooded/on fire/closed/f. Everyone knows the Cross Island Parkway typically sucks, especially since the TNB caught on fire and the lanes were reduced, causing a daily clusterfuck of traffic for about 2 miles before the on ramp.
But then, I am angry that this sign is sharing my secret. The Clearview is an excellent road, and it’s typically the fastest way to the bridge because no one really wants to take it. Also, the CIP is about a mile beforehand, and drivers will typically encounter a wall of traffic between the two. But after seeing the sign, I think more drivers will move over to the Clearview because it’s shorter. I don’t want more cars on this road, and I hope they stay on the CIP. Here’s a sign I really would like to see.
I also found out an interesting thing today – this sign is accurate, and it is calculating distance from the sign, not from the start of the Clearview. So this sign actually takes into account the traffic beforehand. In order to do this though, it is important to note how these signs work- They respond to EZ pass tags or drivers, and then take an average. I am also pretty sure they have a minimum setting to confirm to speed limits. These “average travel time to…” signs are much more accurate than the old style of “traffic moving well to…” signs, that I have found myself sitting under at a complete stop more than one times.
But, like the red headed step child of New York it is, Jersey has to come out and screw it all up. They have one important sign. Just one – and that’s the one that says the average travel times for the different levels of the GWB. I have seen this sign working maybe twice in the past 8 months. And I know it works, so why isn’t it on? I mean, it was grossly inaccurate by at least 20 minutes in rush hour, but at least it was a good indicator of where you could waster more of your life sitting on that bridge.
Lots o’cars Broken Down since last post: 2001 Dodge Caravan, 2001 Nissan Altima, ~1997 Nissan Sentra, ~1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 ford Focus, 1994 Accord, mid 90’s Buick LeSabre
This entry is inspired by a road sign that I have been eagerly anticipating - the “average travel time to the Throgs Neck Bridge” (TNB) sign on the Grand Central parkway. This sign finally came on line at the beginning of this week, and to tell you the truth, I have mixed emotions.
On one hand, I am happy to have this reference just in case the Clearview (295) is totally backed up /flooded/on fire/closed/f. Everyone knows the Cross Island Parkway typically sucks, especially since the TNB caught on fire and the lanes were reduced, causing a daily clusterfuck of traffic for about 2 miles before the on ramp.
But then, I am angry that this sign is sharing my secret. The Clearview is an excellent road, and it’s typically the fastest way to the bridge because no one really wants to take it. Also, the CIP is about a mile beforehand, and drivers will typically encounter a wall of traffic between the two. But after seeing the sign, I think more drivers will move over to the Clearview because it’s shorter. I don’t want more cars on this road, and I hope they stay on the CIP. Here’s a sign I really would like to see.
I also found out an interesting thing today – this sign is accurate, and it is calculating distance from the sign, not from the start of the Clearview. So this sign actually takes into account the traffic beforehand. In order to do this though, it is important to note how these signs work- They respond to EZ pass tags or drivers, and then take an average. I am also pretty sure they have a minimum setting to confirm to speed limits. These “average travel time to…” signs are much more accurate than the old style of “traffic moving well to…” signs, that I have found myself sitting under at a complete stop more than one times.
But, like the red headed step child of New York it is, Jersey has to come out and screw it all up. They have one important sign. Just one – and that’s the one that says the average travel times for the different levels of the GWB. I have seen this sign working maybe twice in the past 8 months. And I know it works, so why isn’t it on? I mean, it was grossly inaccurate by at least 20 minutes in rush hour, but at least it was a good indicator of where you could waster more of your life sitting on that bridge.
Lots o’cars Broken Down since last post: 2001 Dodge Caravan, 2001 Nissan Altima, ~1997 Nissan Sentra, ~1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 ford Focus, 1994 Accord, mid 90’s Buick LeSabre
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