Tolls in New Jersey Set to Rise Again

C. G. Hoffman

Commuters who use the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway are set to face another toll increase, the fourth since 2020.

Officials have voted to increase the budget by about $100 million, adding 44 new employees to its maintenance and engineering staff. By 2024 the workforce is expected to number 2,214 full time positions. The engineering department has said that the staff increase is needed in order to work on the ten year, $24 billion capital plan, which includes a plan to widen the Turnpike Extension to three lanes in each direction. The additional maintenance workers will allow the authority to deploy more snow plows during inclement weather since it will be able to add more shifts, they say.

Objections to the toll increases have been raised by groups such as the National Motorist Association New Jersey chapter, who asked Governor Murphy to veto the increase and impose limits on the Turnpike Authority’s ability to increase tolls. None of these bills have been heard by the assembly or state senate transportation committees.

As the end of 2023 approaches, the authority has earned $1.656 billion in toll revenues this year, which is $10.5 million more than previously projected. Officials have said that this is due to milder than usual winter weather this year, which encouraged more travel.