NJ Commuters To Face Rising Transit Costs In 2025: See List

NEW JERSEY — Garden State commuters will face rising transit costs next year, as a congestion pricing plan passed in New York and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved another toll increase.

The NJTA's 2025 budget includes a 3 percent hike on both the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transit Authority board passed a revised congestion pricing plan last week, which has been approved by the federal government. The new toll is scheduled to be implemented on Jan. 5, 2025.

And the hikes may not stop there, as the Port Authority is reportedly seeking to increase PATH fares by 25 cents and also up the toll to use its bridges and tunnels.

Here's a look at the approved and proposed increases for New Jersey commuters in 2025:

Parkway and Turnpike fees increase again

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority passed their $2.7 billion budget for 2025 on Tuesday, and tolls increased by 3 percent for the fourth year in a row.

The new fees will begin Jan. 1 and average about a 16-cent increase for the Turnpike and an 8-cent increase on the Parkway, according to the NJTA. The toll on most of the exit and entrance ramp plazas on the Parkway will increase by 3 cents.

The cost to travel the full length of the Turnpike, from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the George Washington Bridge, will go up by 62 cents.

This is the fifth toll increase since 2020, when Turnpike tolls went up 36 percent and Parkway tolls went up 27 percent. In the 2020 budget, the NJTA included the ability to increase tolls by up to 3 percent each year. They did so in 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.

This year's toll increase went into effect on March 1, and averaged about 15 cents more on the Turnpike and 5 cents on the Parkway.

Revised congestion pricing plan

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has claimed that the new congestion pricing toll will be enough to raise $15 billion for the cash-strapped MTA. A $9 fee per car would be in effect through 2027 and apply to most vehicles coming into Manhattan south of 60th Street. An earlier proposal had the fee at $15.

Part of the revised congestion pricing plan includes immediate service increases to a number of outer borough bus routes.

"I'm directing the MTA to make major services enhancement to at least 23 bus routes in the outer boroughs," Hochul said at a press conference last week. "... This would mean running buses more frequently along those routes."

Gov. Phil Murphy has vowed to fight the congestion plan in court, saying he firmly opposes "any attempt to force through a congestion pricing proposal in the final months of the Biden Administration."

"We stand resolutely against a tolling scheme that will unfairly burden our commuters," Murphy said on Friday. "Since the inception of this plan, New York and Washington have not engaged New Jersey in any meaningful way. We will continue to do everything we can to fight this unfair and unpopular plan in the courts.”

The state's attorney, Randy Mastro, said the MTA is "a mismanaged mess" under chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

"Instead of getting his own fiscal house in order, Mr. Lieber is trying to balance the MTA’s books through an unfair and unpopular fee on hardworking New Jersey commuters that has been poorly designed and insufficiently thought through from the beginning," Mastro said in a statement.

State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) called on the state to "fight back" and said New Jersey "should not sit idly by and watch commuters fall victim to the immense government greed that is taking money right out of their pockets."

Pennacchio has called for the state legislature to place slot machine gambling at horse racetracks and possibly build a convention center in the Meadowlands to rival the Javits Center in New York, to pull back some revenue for the Garden State.

Port Authority crossings, PATH fare increase in agency's 2025 budget

On Nov. 14, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board unveiled their $9.4 billion budget proposal for 2025. It included another toll increase, and the first PATH fare hike since 2024. Starting Jan. 12, PATH train riders would see a 25-cent increase on fares.

The proposal also calls for a 25-cent increase to use the Port Authority's bridges and tunnels during peak hours, as the New Jersey Monitor reported. There are two public hearings scheduled on the PATH fare hike and toll increase plan in New Jersey. The first is Dec. 3 at the Hasbrouck Heights Meadowlands Hilton at 7 p.m. and the second is Dec. 5 at 2 Montgomery St., 3rd floor, in Jersey City at 9 a.m.

An online public comment period will be open until Dec. 9.