FORT LEE, NJ —Attention to drivers of George Washington Bridge: Your cash doesn’t work here.
Starting Sunday, drivers who want to cross the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York will go through an electronic toll system.
Drivers without E-ZPass who would otherwise have to pay in cash will have their license plates photographed by superior cameras and invoices will be mailed to them.
The New York and New Jersey Port Authority move is a way to help alleviate congestion on the bridge, the busiest of the three steps of the Hudson River that the agency oversees.
“A lot of advocates have been asking for this for a long time and it’s a welcome decision,” said Tom Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association.
With the implementation of the new system, the existing toll booths will be removed, removing a link to a memorable chapter in New Jersey’s political history known as “Bridgegate”.
Cars pass through tolls to use the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, NJ on July 8, 2022. AP
In 2013, traffic in Fort Lee, New Jersey, got dirty for several days when a group of Republican political agents had blocked some of the access lanes leading to toll booths in retaliation for a Democratic mayor. did not endorse the then governor. Chris Christie for re-election.
Christie was not charged with anything, but two people were convicted of federal charges. These convictions were later overturned by the Supreme Court. Another who had pleaded guilty had this statement vacant.
The George Washington Bridge is a crossing point not only for entering New York City, but also for drivers using Interstate 95. The Port Authority said more than 49 million vehicles crossed no. to the east last year and which is the most used pass on the Hudson River. for trucks.
The cashless toll has been in use in the Netherlands tunnel since December 2020 and is expected to begin in the Lincoln tunnel later this year, the Port Authority said.
Wright said the use of an electronic system for tolls “serves more drivers more quickly and efficiently.” But, he warned, that didn’t mean there would be no more congestion as vehicles converge to cross the stretch.
“It’s not like a magic wand,” he said.