NY/NJ Port Authority Considers Trucking Discounts for Hudson Crossings
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is considering a discount toll plan for truckers crossing the Hudson River, although the discount would only be for carriers that have made at least 100 off-peak trips during an E-ZPass billing cycle.
Carriers with the requisite number of off peak trips via tunnel or bridge would receive a 10% discount on their monthly E-ZPass toll bill. Off peak hours are anything other than 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The toll discount proposal is a result of a promise made to the trucking industry in August when the authority implemented steep toll hikes on trucks crossing the Hudson between New York and New Jersey.
A five-axle truck with E-ZPass making an off peak trip pays a toll of $45.
An authority committee unveiled the plan, which has no timeline for implementation, at a meeting late last month.
But the plan is not final until approved by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said Gail Toth, executive director of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association.
“It’s not much of a discount,” Toth said. “We’ve literally got guys spending over $100,000 a month over there.”
A 10% discount would give such carriers some relief but not as much as they were hoping for, Toth said.
“And the sad thing too is this will only benefit those fleets that do go over in large quantities,” Toth added. “The small businessman doesn’t have a prayer; he’s not getting anything.”
