An advanced new tolling system is coming to the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River crossing on July 10, 2022, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and will be entirely cashless.
The busy crossing will introduce a system similar to that adopted by the Holland Tunnel in December 2020. Using overhead gantries, it will capture license plate images to ensure toll payment by mail for non-E-ZPass customers and eliminate the traffic bottleneck that cash toll collection tends to cause.
“Cashless transactions are no longer a thing of the future in this age of touchless financial transactions, and for non-E-ZPass customers that convenience of modern life has now come to our 90-year-old George Washington Bridge,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.
Once activated, crews will demolish the former toll booths and islands. The carpool discount plan will end, and regular customers will continue to be encouraged toward purchasing an E-ZPass. A Tolls NY smartphone app is being set up to give users immediate access to tolls and payment history under the new electronic scheme.
“This new cashless toll collection system is part of the Port Authority’s multi-faceted push to renew, upgrade or rehabilitate every aspect of our crossings so that these legacy structures are able to adapt to the changing needs of the traveling public and incorporate best-in-class technology,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.
In addition to the Holland Tunnel, a similar system has already been applied to the Bayonne Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing and Goethals Bridge. It’s expected to expand to include the Lincoln Tunnel by year’s end.