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Port proposes changes to budget
Declares need for tolls and fare increases
During its monthly meeting,
the Board was briefed on
the two proposals, which if approved
will allow the Port Authority
to continue its unprecedented
level of investment in
improving and rebuilding the
region’s legacy transportation
infrastructure. The Board
then set in place a robust public
comment period – including
six public hearings – that
will run through September
13, 2019.
The Port Authority Board
of Commissioners recently
held a robust public comment
period – including three public
hearings in New York and
four in New Jersey in July –
on the agency’s proposal for
the first inflation-based toll
increases to the agency’s six
bridges and tunnels since
2015; changes to PATH’s fare
structure; the first increases
to AirTrain fares in 14 years;
and a new airport ground
transportation access fee. The
hearings allowed for public
comment on the agency’s reassessment
of its 2017-2026 $32.2
billion Capital Plan, which
includes $4.8 billion in additional
spending. Of the proposed
$4.8 billion increase,
approximately $4.5 billion or
94 percent of the increase, is
projected to be funded by additional
non-toll and non-fare
revenues, including revenue
increases from the following:
terminal rents; airline
cost recoveries; user fees; anticipated
receipt of passenger
facility charges; and Sandy
recovery and airport improvement
grants associated with
certain projects.
Said Rick Cotton, Port Executive
Director, “We recognize
all toll, fare and fee increases
are painful. Nobody
wants to pay more. But building
21st century infrastructure
requires funding – and
we are committed to bringing
all of our facilities in line with
21st century standards. We
sought to spread the increases
across all our operations to
avoid undue burdens. We are
wholly committed to delivering
improved facilities as we
ask our customers to share in
supporting the infrastructure
investments the region so desperately
needs and deserves.”
At the public meeting held
on July 30 at JFK Airport,
over 100 people showed up to
listen and speak on the proposed
changes. The Commissioners
from the Port who
were present were patient
and open to al questions, even
waiting for a man who was
detained downstairs by security
because the hall was
too full. Noteably, most of the
comments were from the for
hire medallion taxi community,
These owner drivers felt
that the surcharges proposed
will put “another nail” in the
struggling body of taxi drivers
having to compete with
app-based companies who
were accused of abusing the
rules at the airports.
No other comments were
made to any of the other
fare increases including the
AirTrain. but two speakers
did support the increases feeling
that infrastructure improvements
would be a benefit
to all.
Highlights of the tolls,
fares and fee adjustments are
as follows:
At the bridges and tunnels
(which include the Outerbridge
Crossing, Goethals
Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, Holland
Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel
and George Washington
Bridge), the cash/toll by mail
rate for cars during all hours
will increase by $1.00 from
$15.00 to $16.00 at the beginning
of 2020. The E-ZPass peak
discount for cars will be reduced
from $2.50 to $2.25; and
the E-ZPass off-peak discount
will be reduced from $4.50 to
$4.25. The proposed toll schedule
will take effect on January
5, 2020; On PATH, which
has not seen a fare increase
since 2014, the base fare will
remain at $2.75. The discount
for multi-trip purchases will
be preserved but be reduced.
The per-ride price for multitrip
purchases (10-trip, 20-trip
or 40-trip options) will be adjusted
to $2.50 on November
1, 2019 and $2.60 a year later;
The fare for AirTrain JFK
and AirTrain Newark, the
first increases for either system
in more than a decade,
will rise from $5.00 and $5.50
to $7.75, effective November 1,
2019; A proposed $4.00 ground
transportation access fee on
for-hire vehicles and taxis in
line with peer airports and
the same fees as at Los Angeles
International Airport.
The AirTrain at JFK Howard Beach
will cost you more money if Port
proposed increase is approved.