How New York's Toll System Got Completely Busted

On Sunday, tolls at the bridges and tunnels managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey went up again — the third of five scheduled hikes in as many years. The peak E-ZPass fee is now up to $11. A commuter who drives through one of these tolls every work day will fork over nearly $3,000 a year.

Driving in and around New York City is expensive, and it should be. The city has enormous amounts of traffic and a great public transit system. High tolls can help keep a transportation network balanced, efficient, and equitable.

The problem, says finance scholar Jonathan Peters of the College of Staten Island, is that right now New York City tolls accomplish none of these goals. They aren't coordinated to reduce traffic or encourage transit, and they aren't priced to help low-income residents or local businesses. Instead, he says, the tolls pad the pockets of agencies losing money in other areas.