Port Authority commissioners did the expected, approving a toll, fare and fee plan that will increase the cash toll at its bridges and tunnels to $16 next January and ushers in automatic increases based on the Consumer Price Index.

The commissioners also approved a $4.8 billion amendment to the agency’s 10-year $32 billion Capital Plan, which allocates funds to replace Newark Airport’s aging monorail, develop a new Terminal 2 at Newark Airport, buy new rail cars and make other improvements to the PATH transit system. The plan is reassessed every two years. The vote was unanimous.

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“We derive two-thirds of our revenue from non-toll and non-air (fee) sources, but tolls and fares remain two pillars of our financing,” said Rick Cotton, executive director. “We simply must have revenue sources to support our investment.”

The vote came despite receiving more than 1,300 written comments on the toll, fare and fee plan, most from drivers and bus commuters opposing the toll increase.

State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg introduced herself as the 971st commenter against increase bus tolls and asked the board to reconsider. She cited the case of a typical NJ Transit bus that pays a toll twice for each return trip to Manhattan

“Commuters should be encouraged to use mass transit options. Increased bus costs have the potential to depress bus ridership,” Weinberg said. “We do not have the (tunnel) capacity for any more car riders.”

Citing a projected $81 million NJ Transit budget deficit in fiscal year 2021, she questioned “if NJ Transit has the financial strength to pay” for the increased toll costs.

“I’d urge you to reconsider toll hikes on buses,” Weinberg said. “Raising tolls is literally robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

The toll vote could force a showdown between the commissioners and their bosses, Gov. Phil Murphy and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, if the governors decide to exercise their veto power over the board’s minutes, which would void the vote. Technically, the proposal passed Thursday could allow them to increase tolls anyway and override the two governors.

Kevin O’Toole, board chairman said there is “every indication the governors will not veto” the toll increase. “I’d be surprised if they did,” he said.

Under the provision, after 2020, all tolls will be indexed for inflation, meaning they would automatically increase by $1 for cash tolls, when the Consumer Price Index reaches that mark. That would include a one-time reduction of the E-ZPass discount for passenger vehicles and motorcycles.

A 2008 toll proposal allows the Port Authority to administratively increase tolls when the CPI reaches $1 under current toll rates. Authority commissioners reaffirmed that decision in 2011 and in 2017. Officials estimate the CPI will reach that $1 mark next year, triggering a toll increase on Jan. 5, 2020.

Tolls, fares and fees “have not increased in years and not increased with inflation,” said Libby McCarthy, Port Authority CFO. “They are consistent with inflation and peer agencies.”

A cash toll on the MTA’s Verrazano-Narrows bridge is $19.

The die was cast after the agency released a revised proposal on Tuesday that called for lowering a new “ground transportation access fee” at the authority’s metro area airports as a concession to the beleaguered taxi industry, but it kept the rest of the plan introduced in June intact.

Officials said the revenue raisers were needed to keep pace with inflation, the cost of security and to help finance the expanded capital plan, which totals $32 billion.

The proposal introduced in late June, would raise the cash toll for the authority’s bridges and tunnels by $1, taking it from $15 to $16 in January 2020. It would cut back on certain E-ZPass toll discounts and reduce price breaks for riders who buy PATH’s SmartLink card. E-ZPass discounts will be maintained of $2 off-peak and $4 peak off the cash price, McCarthy said.

It would add pick-up and drop-off fees at airports for taxis and for-hire vehicles at the three major airports including Newark Airport, something officials said is already done at other major metro airports.

Authority staff decided to scale back the original $4 taxi fees to pick up at the authority’s airports “because the taxi industry is moving through a rough period.” Taxi passengers could pay a $1.25 “ground transportation access fee” starting on Oct. 3, 2020, if approved. That would increase to $1.75 on Oct. 1, 2022.

Travelers using for-hire vehicles such as Uber and Lyft would pay a higher $2.50 pick-up and drop-off fee, under the proposal.

Travelers who take the Newark and JFK AirTrains will see fares increase from $4 to $7.75 starting Nov. 1.

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

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