Drivers to pay more on Port Authority crossings without proper E-ZPass device

Starting on Sunday, drivers without a mounted E-ZPass could face more than $4 in additional tolls when navigating Port Authority bridges and tunnels.

The new "mid-tier" toll will charge a flat rate of $18.72 for vehicles entering New York City without a mounted transponder on windshields. That marks a $2.66 increase for two-axled vehicles during peak hours and a $4.66 hike during off-peak hours, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The crossings affected are the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, the George Washington Bridge, the Bayonne and Goethals bridges and the Outerbridge Crossing.

The Port Authority said the new mid-tier toll affects about 9% of drivers who enter the city without properly mounted E-ZPass tags and are charged when their license plates are read electronically.

"This new tier is intended for drivers to take advantage of lower E-ZPass rates by ensuring their Tags are mounted properly on the vehicle windshield for accurate reading by the toll collection system at the time of crossing," the Port Authority said in a statement on the online toll schedule.

Officials said the toll will be applied to any vehicles on Port Authority roads without properly mounted transponders. The higher rate was passed with the new toll schedule in December to cover the "incremental cost" to process tolls, such as verifying photos of license plates and account verification, according to the statement.

The toll is still lower than the $22.38 fee-by-mail for vehicles not registered with E-ZPass, officials said. The toll by mail will increase by $4.07 on Sunday after it was raised by $0.68 in January.

The Port Authority also eliminated a 10% truck volume discount, which officials said was given to trucking companies for making more than 100 off-peak trips per month. 

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.