Drivers will get three opportunities to tell New Jersey Turnpike officials what they think about a toll increase proposal next week that could hike the price of a passenger car trip on the Turnpike by an average of $1.25 and Parkway tolls by 30 cents.

The details were finally revealed of a toll increase process that started on Feb. 25 when NJ Turnpike Authority commissioners voted to set public hearing dates but not say how much drivers will pay.

The legal notice on the authority’s website also lacked the type of details drivers would expect, such as a breakdown of cash, E-ZPass rates and how much non-passenger vehicles will pay. It only said tolls would increase by $1.25 for the “average trip” on the Turnpike and 30 cents on the Parkway for passenger vehicles.

Turnpike officials did not immediately respond to an email asking for details.

An organization that represents drivers said the proposal was light on details and suggested the authority step on the brakes.

“Why the rush? As in, hearings in less than a month’s time with no detailed information available?,” said Steve Carrellas, National Motorists Association New Jersey policy director. “The NJTA is acting like the PANYNJ before they started acting with more transparency.”

Among his questions is why the public has less than two-weeks to review and comment on a plan that doesn’t show all the toll increase costs to drivers and costs of the proposed projects.

“NJ-NMA recommendations are to have the hearings start no sooner than 45 days prior to full information being made available to the public and for the written comment period to conclude at least three weeks after the last hearing,” Carrellas said. “What’s the rush?”

The toll increases on the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway would fund an ambitious capital plan of 53 projects on both highways, including widening the remaining two-lane sections of the Turnpike between exits four and one, on the Hudson County extension and adding a fourth lane at exit 13.

Four sections of the Parkway would also be widened, including the local and express lanes between Exit 98 in Wall and Exit 125 in Sayreville, between the Turnpike in Woodbridge and I-78 in Union, between I-78 and Route 3 and from Exit 154 for Route 46 in Clifton and Route 17 in Paramus.

It would also create a new exit 19W and toll plaza on the Turnpike’s western spur, however a location was not specified.

On the Parkway and Turnpike, toll collection would finally go cashless, meaning drivers without E-ZPass accounts would be billed by mail. A dozen Parkway exits that are missing certain traffic movements would be completed.

Similar to what the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey did last fall, the authority proposes having “indexed” or automatic future toll increases, after 2022 which would be no higher than 3%. Officials did not say what economic indicator those increases would be tied to.

Unlike the Port Authority, the process is a stark contrast to the level of information and details released when the Port Authority commissioners introduced a toll increase proposal and amended capital plan last July and approved a $1 cash toll increase and reduced E-ZPass discounts in September at its Hudson River and Staten Island crossings. Those increases took effect in January.

Comments will be taken at three public hearings held next week. The first two would be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 18 at NJ Turnpike Headquarters, 1 Turnpike Plaza, which is off Mutton Hollow Road and near Route 9 south in Woodbridge and at from 6 to 8 p.m., Camden County College Dennis Flyer Memorial theater, Lincoln Hall Jefferson Drive, Sicklerville.

The last hearing is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m., March 19 at Ramapo College trustee pavilion conference room, 505 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah. No date has been set for a vote by the turnpike commission.

Comments also can be mailed to the Turnpike Authority Executive Director, 1 Turnpike Plaza, Woodbridge NJ 07095 or emailed to njtapubliccomments@njta.com by March 27.

The February vote was a surprise after Turnpike Authority officials boasted in October that the $1.8 billion 2020 budget did not require a toll increase to fund it. It was the eighth year the authority has gone without taking a toll increase in the annual budget.

The last toll increase was a 53 percent hike on January 1, 2012, which was the final part of a multi-phase toll increase package approved in 2008. That toll increase financed the authority’s $7 billion capital plan that paid for widening parts of the Turnpike and Parkway.

It also could fund a plan by State Senate President Steve Sweeney to provide $500 million in dedicated funding for NJ Transit from a 1 percent tax on corporate income and $125 million from the state’s turnpike and $75 million from a Clean Energy Fund to transit operations. Voters could be asked to amend the state constitution to dedicate those monies.

Officials justified completion of the last 10-year capital plan. This year, the Turnpike Authority awarded all the $500 million in this year’s program,” said John Keller executive director.

Documents provided to commissioners said, “just $400 million are currently available over the next five years to tackle important projects that enhance roadway safety, relieve congestion and improve access onto and off the Turnpike and Parkway.”

Keller said the authorization would allow the authority to adopt a strategic plan to 2029 for capital projects.

Tolls are the Authority’s major revenue source. Last year, the authority earned $1.612 billion, which is 86% of the agency’s $1.861 billion in revenue.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters