The Port Authority wants to increase your bridge and tunnel tolls, PATH fares and other fees for the first time in eight years, but officials said they have four billion good reasons for doing it.

A proposal would raise the cash toll for the authority’s bridges and tunnels by $1, taking it from $15 to $16. It would cut back on certain E-ZPass toll discounts and breaks for riders who use PATH’s SmartLink card and add pick-up and drop off fees at airports for taxis and for hire vehicles. The plan was detailed by senior authority officials, speaking on background Tuesday.

The increase is needed to fund $4.8 billion in additional projects added to the 10-year $32 billion capital plan. Additions include replacing the aging Newark Airport AirTrain monorail, funding the PATH improvement plan announced last week, planning work for a new terminal Two at Newark Airport and electric vehicle infrastructure.

Some commuters on social media foreshadowed the announcement, asking when the next toll and fare hike was coming, after PATH officials announced a $1 billion improvement plan last week. The full plan is expected to be brought to the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners on Thursday, which could vote on it in late September, after six public hearings are held in New York and New Jersey.

And in unrelated news...PATH increasing fares to $9.50 per trip. — John Brown (@john4brown) June 21, 2019

Unlike hearings held on a package of controversial toll and fare hikes in 2011, the six locations will be in places that commuters can find, such as 4 World Trade Center. The increases are tied to inflation, a provision that commissioners included in the 2011 increases and reaffirmed in 2017, officials said.

AAA officials said they will oppose the toll hikes.

“We think the toll rates are exorbitant (now),” said John Corlett, a spokesman for AAA Northeast, representing New Jersey and New York.

AAA Northeast sued the Port Authority over the 2011 toll hikes and the quickly held public comment period. AAA is concerned about provisions to strip E-Z Pass discounts from out-of-state drivers who don’t have a tag issued in New York and New Jersey, and about future toll increases being indexed to inflation, Corlett said.

Port Authority officials said the decision to limit E-Z Pass discounts was based on what other toll agencies in other states have done.

“What other agencies did is irrelevant, the Port Authority is sanctioned by federal law,” Corlett said. “It’s a backwards argument.”

What will you pay?

Drivers who pay cash tolls will see a $1 increase to $16 on Jan. 5, 2020, if approved. Drivers using E-ZPass will see a reduction in their discounts, with the peak-period discount dropping from $2.50 to $2.25 and off-peak going from $4.50 to $4.25. That means drivers would pay a $11.75 toll during off-peak and $13.75 during peak commuting hours.

Officials are handling PATH fares in a similar way that the NYC subway and bus system did earlier this year. The base one-ride fare stays at $2.75. But users of the SmartLink card will see their cost go up from $21 for 10 rides to $25 this November and to $26, in November 2020 reflecting a slashing of the discount for users of the tap-and-go card.

Travelers using a cab or Uber/Lyft ride share vehicle will also be charged for access to airports, as is now done in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington D.C. A $4 pick-up fee would be charged for travelers taking a taxi or ride share vehicles from the airport. Ride share vehicles also would be charged $4 to drop-off at the airport.

Fares on the JFK and Newark AirTrain, which haven’t been increased since the early 2000s, would increase to $7.75 from $5.

Why do they need an increase?

The additions would bring the agency’s revised 10-year capital plan to a total of $37 billion, officials said. It also covers increases to ongoing projects due to inflation and market place cost conditions, officials said.

“We need additional support,” one high ranking official said, citing the need to keep up with record growth.

Increases include a $1.64 billion increase to replace the aging Newark Airport AirTrain, bringing the cost to $2 billion total. The agency trimmed $300 million allocated to keep the existing AirTrain running, however senior officials said there are funds to keep the monorail running while a replacement is being built.

The project to build a new Newark Airport Terminal One to replace Terminal A also needs $350 million more because construction costs have increased. Ultimately, revenues from the new terminal will cover those costs, officials said.

Three new initiatives will be added to the capital plan, including $200 million for the PATH improvement plan, which adds retrofitting the Grove Street and Exchange Place stations to handle longer train. Some other initiatives, such as implementing computer based signal systems, buying new rail cars and overhauling the existing fleet are in the existing capital plan.

Another $35 million will be added to begin planning for a replacement of Newark Airport’s Terminal B with a new “Terminal 2.’ The plan also has $50 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure as the authority moves to replace buses and light vehicles with electric vehicles to reduce pollution.

Not in the plan is construction funding for a new bus terminal. The current capital plan has $3.5 billion for design of a new terminal and the start of some construction. Progress on a new terminal isn’t far enough along to warrant allocating the rest of construction funds, officials said.

Got an opinion?

If you want to comment for or against the toll, fare and fee increases there are six hearings to do it at in person and online comments will be taken on the Port Authority until Sept. 13.

New Jersey hearings will be held at 8 a.m., July 16 in Port Authority offices at 2 Montgomery Street, Jersey City, near PATH and NJ Transit light rail stops; at 7 p.m., July 18, in the Newark Airport Terminal One Redevelopment Outreach office, 79 West Jersey Street, Elizabeth and at 7 p.m., July 29, at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights 650 Terrace Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights.

PATH riders also could attend the first hearing at 8 a.m., July 15 in the Port Authority officials in 4 World Trade Center. Staten Island residents will get their own hearing at 7 p.m., July 22 at the College of Station Island Williamson Theater , 2800 Victory Boulevard.

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

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