New Jersey Toll System

[lx200gps]

Looking for some local knowledge on the New Jersey toll system as at right now. We'll be making our first drive down to New Jersey by car in a very long time, driving down I87 from New York state on our way to Weehawken. Next morning taking the ferry right at our hotel across the Hudson and walking up to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. I understand that  the NJ toll system is undergoing big changes, cashless systems, car license plates being photographed and bill sent by mail etc. And things are even more fluid thanks to our friend COVID, though apparently some toll plazas have seen a return of human toll collectors. So all in all, pretty confusing for a tourist from out of COUNTRY, not just state.

 

Will it be possible to just pay cash at every toll plaza we would come across?  Perfectly happy with that.  We won't have EZ-Pass.  Or will it be clear that no cash is collected and we will be photographed as we whizz by?  Google Maps indicates that it is supposedly possible to drive our entire desired route without paying any tolls, but I don't know that I trust that.  NJ-17 to NJ-3 to NJ-495, seems pretty straight forward. We aren't pressed for time in any way, so time and distance driven aren't a big factor in our route.  Thanks for any advice.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

Google Maps indicates that it is supposedly possible to drive our entire desired route without paying any tolls, but I don't know that I trust that.  NJ-17 to NJ-3 to NJ-495, seems pretty straight forward

There are no tolls on that route (17 to 3 to 495) in NJ.

But you will encounter the cashless toll system on I 87, the NY State Thruway .

Edited June 6, 2022 by njhorseman

[meadowlander]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

Looking for some local knowledge on the New Jersey toll system as at right now.

 

NJ-17 to NJ-3 to NJ-495, seems pretty straight forward. We aren't pressed for time in any way, so time and distance driven aren't a big factor in our route.  Thanks for any advice.

At present, New Jersey Turnpike still has cash option toll lanes. Look for "CASH" above the booth, likely only 1 or 2 per exit with no specific assigned lane or location.

 

Pre pandemic driving 17 south on a Saturday meant traffic as Paramus is the mall capital of NJ. Garden State Parkway (toll road/cash lanes) is an option. Exit 153 to route 3 east to Weehawken.

[lx200gps]

14 hours ago, njhorseman said:

There are no tolls on that route (17 to 3 to 495) in NJ.

But you will encounter the cashless toll system on I 87, the NY State Thruway .

Yup, when I checked Google Maps, I only searched from the NY/NJ border south, and forgot to check the New York side.  Seems pretty straight forward, though I haven't yet found an explanation of how they handle out of COUNTRY license plates, such as Quebec, though I assume it's built-in.  IIRC New York and Quebec have bilaterals for traffic violations/fines etc, so presumably NY will get our address from our provincial MVB

[lx200gps]

14 hours ago, meadowlander said:

At present, New Jersey Turnpike still has cash option toll lanes. Look for "CASH" above the booth, likely only 1 or 2 per exit with no specific assigned lane or location.

 

Pre pandemic driving 17 south on a Saturday meant traffic as Paramus is the mall capital of NJ. Garden State Parkway (toll road/cash lanes) is an option. Exit 153 to route 3 east to Weehawken.

Thanks for the tip. I had assumed we would have issues driving down on a Saturday afternoon, but when we do this trip next, in mid-September for a trip on Princess out of Brooklyn, we'll be doing this same run on a FRIDAY, which is even worse.

Ignoring distances and tolls, would it be a bit easier drive to veer off I87 at the NY/NJ border, shoot east to the Hudson and drive the Pallisades Pkwy along the Hudson as far as the GW? We could then grab Route 9, or even just go the few miles along the Hudson from the bridge to Weehawken.

[meadowlander]

8 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Ignoring distances and tolls, would it be a bit easier drive to veer off I87 at the NY/NJ border, shoot east to the Hudson and drive the Pallisades Pkwy along the Hudson as far as the GW? We could then grab Route 9, or even just go the few miles along the Hudson from the bridge to Weehawken.

I am not familiar with the option you offer. Looking at Google maps, it will work.

 

If you want to avoid the GSP and traffic on 17 south, I would suggest crossing into NJ at Suffern NY. Bypass 17 south, stay on 287 south to 208 south. There is never traffic on 208, it is the route I use when heading north.

 

208 south to the end which will bring you onto 4 east. Route 17 south is less than 2 miles away. Before you get to the exit for 17, you will pass the largest mall in NJ (Garden State Plaza)  on the right. If you enter 17 at the junction with 4, 17 will only have 2 lanes going south until route 3 east.  Once on 3 east going to Weehawken,  you will pass, on your left, American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, adjacent to the Meadowlands sports complex. 

[lx200gps]

14 hours ago, meadowlander said:

I am not familiar with the option you offer. Looking at Google maps, it will work.

 

If you want to avoid the GSP and traffic on 17 south, I would suggest crossing into NJ at Suffern NY. Bypass 17 south, stay on 287 south to 208 south. There is never traffic on 208, it is the route I use when heading north.

 

208 south to the end which will bring you onto 4 east. Route 17 south is less than 2 miles away. Before you get to the exit for 17, you will pass the largest mall in NJ (Garden State Plaza)  on the right. If you enter 17 at the junction with 4, 17 will only have 2 lanes going south until route 3 east.  Once on 3 east going to Weehawken,  you will pass, on your left, American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, adjacent to the Meadowlands sports complex. 

Thanks so much for the info. I had originally planned the 17 to the 4, but if the 287 to the 208 has less traffic, we'll use that instead.  We can run east on the 4 up to within a few miles of the GW then scoot off and head south to Weehawken/Port Imperial by any one of a number of routes, as it's only a few miles to to our hotel. As we're driving unfamiliar routes, I actually prefer the ease and convenience of smaller, "back" roads for the last few miles anyway. To avoid the massive spaghetti interchanges at the head of the GW, for example, we can get off the 4 and head south on the 93 to the 9. From the 4 to our hotel is only about 7 miles. Or we can just drive River Road to Port Imperial as well. Lots of options, thanks again for all the advice.

[Nitemare]

It's not hard to grab an EZ Pass and most states give a nice discount for using the system vs. the plate by mail billing.

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, Nitemare said:

It's not hard to grab an EZ Pass and most states give a nice discount for using the system vs. the plate by mail billing.

Fair point. I'll have to investigate it further, but I'm not sure it's worth setting everything up for something we'll use at most twice a year, especially coming from a foreign country.

[meadowlander]

8 hours ago, lx200gps said:

As we're driving unfamiliar routes, I actually prefer the ease and convenience of smaller, "back" roads for the last few miles anyway. To avoid the massive spaghetti interchanges at the head of the GW, for example, we can get off the 4 and head south on the 93 to the 9. From the 4 to our hotel is only about 7 miles. Or we can just drive River Road to Port Imperial as well. Lots of options, thanks again for all the advice.

208 south will be 2 lanes and ends at 4 east. 4 to 93 (which is Grand Ave) has no overhead exit sign, just a small sign on the right pre exit and a sign past the exit lane. NJ could do much better with its road signs.

 

93/Grand Avenue goes through many name changes and has many traffic lights. it does lead towards Weehawken. You will go underneath the route 3 overpass and exit right to 495 to your destination.

 

I had to look at Google street view for the River Rd option. It does appear exits 72 & 73 off of 4 east can lead you to River Rd which changes into Port Imperial Blvd. Again, be aware NJ is deficient as to good road signage. This choice, to me, appears more complicated  getting from 4 onto River Rd but once on River Rd it seems to be more direct and less traffic lights than Grand Avenue (which I am more familiar with).

 

You probably know but if not, motorists do not pump gas in NJ. There is no self serve option.

[lx200gps]

4 hours ago, meadowlander said:

208 south will be 2 lanes and ends at 4 east. 4 to 93 (which is Grand Ave) has no overhead exit sign, just a small sign on the right pre exit and a sign past the exit lane. NJ could do much better with its road signs.

 

93/Grand Avenue goes through many name changes and has many traffic lights. it does lead towards Weehawken. You will go underneath the route 3 overpass and exit right to 495 to your destination.

 

I had to look at Google street view for the River Rd option. It does appear exits 72 & 73 off of 4 east can lead you to River Rd which changes into Port Imperial Blvd. Again, be aware NJ is deficient as to good road signage. This choice, to me, appears more complicated  getting from 4 onto River Rd but once on River Rd it seems to be more direct and less traffic lights than Grand Avenue (which I am more familiar with).

 

You probably know but if not, motorists do not pump gas in NJ. There is no self serve option.

Thanks a bunch. No I did NOT know about no self-serve in NJ, thanks for the heads up. And as to NJ having poor signage, I absolutely guarantee that they will be better than they are here in Quebec.  ;o)  Gotta love Google Street View, I've already been scouting some of the routes you mention, including the 4 to the 93 and actually noticed the small sign you mentioned.  And Route 4 takes us right past an important destination we need to stop at, Total Wine

 

Again, thanks very much for the help...

[meadowlander]

2 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks a bunch. No I did NOT know about no self-serve in NJ, thanks for the heads up. And as to NJ having poor signage, I absolutely guarantee that they will be better than they are here in Quebec.  ;o)  

If Quebec is as bad as you say, you will have no problem with NJ!

 

You are welcome. Enjoy your cruise & stay in NJ.

[markeb]

14 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Fair point. I'll have to investigate it further, but I'm not sure it's worth setting everything up for something we'll use at most twice a year, especially coming from a foreign country.

 

The first time you're stuck in the cash line while everyone whizzes through the EZ Pass land, you'll get an EZ Pass. Or be proactive and live vicariously through my bad experience...

 

😀

[Nitemare]

7 hours ago, markeb said:

 

The first time you're stuck in the cash line while everyone whizzes through the EZ Pass land, you'll get an EZ Pass. Or be proactive and live vicariously through my bad experience...

 

😀

Yup.  We got the NY State pass years before they had one here in Massachusetts to avoid the lines on our 3-4 annual trips to NYC.  Then when they added a pass in Mass we got that one, too, so we get the "home state discounts" in both states. Just have to remember to switch transponders in Connecticut and put the other one in the lead-lined pouch so we don't get double charged.

[mking8288]

@lx200gps - (Bonjour) you might be familiar with this option, just in case you aren't (and, for other CC neighbors north of our US border & planning to drive down to cruise) -

EZ-Pass to Go is a $25 prepaid option, coming from Montreal or Quebec area, make a quick stop once you are on the Northway, there are a # of retailers that sell the EZ-Pass.  It's pretty easy to setup & activate ... mount it & get back on the Northway toward Albany, etc. toward NYC and zip thru the toll-less lanes.  

https://www.thruway.ny.gov/ezpass/otg/index.html

 

If you aren't in a hurry, set your GPS navigation (Google Maps on Android or Apple CarPlay, works fine on either OS) & you can take the scenic Taconic Parkway south of Albany to NY, avoid most of the toll on the NYS Thruway - into Westchester area ... and you can cross over to NJ & head south on Rt. 17, etc. and/or as outlined by others.  It's a more winding parkway but traffic is usually light, our favorite route in the Fall to see foliage up the Hudson to Lake George & Vermont, etc. (and, coming back too - places like Bear Mountain State Park, West Point (it was once visitors friendly ... not anymore)

 

Have a safe trip & ride driving down. Regards - HM

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

@lx200gps - (Bonjour) you might be familiar with this option, just in case you aren't (and, for other CC neighbors north of our US border & planning to drive down to cruise) -

EZ-Pass to Go is a $25 prepaid option, coming from Montreal or Quebec area, make a quick stop once you are on the Northway, there are a # of retailers that sell the EZ-Pass.  It's pretty easy to setup & activate ... mount it & get back on the Northway toward Albany, etc. toward NYC and zip thru the toll-less lanes.  

https://www.thruway.ny.gov/ezpass/otg/index.html

 

If you aren't in a hurry, set your GPS navigation (Google Maps on Android or Apple CarPlay, works fine on either OS) & you can take the scenic Taconic Parkway south of Albany to NY, avoid most of the toll on the NYS Thruway - into Westchester area ... and you can cross over to NJ & head south on Rt. 17, etc. and/or as outlined by others.  It's a more winding parkway but traffic is usually light, our favorite route in the Fall to see foliage up the Hudson to Lake George & Vermont, etc. (and, coming back too - places like Bear Mountain State Park, West Point (it was once visitors friendly ... not anymore)

 

Have a safe trip & ride driving down. Regards - HM

Howdy again, and thanks once more for all the intel on the Joy you've helped us all with over the last few weeks.

 

Others have mentioned the EZpass to Go, and I'll have to look into it quickly, as we drive Saturday morning. Actually buying one should be dead easy, as there are places in Plattsburgh right on the I87 that we are very familiar with that should sell them. (BTW, in a big grocery store like Hannaford or PriceChopper, where would they be located so we don't have to go seearching for them?) Hopefully EZPAss allows Canadian customers and Canadian credit cards to register.  We would, however, only be using this once, maybe twice a year (unless the cruise lines increase their offerings out of the Northeast ;o)  After this trip, our next cruise is on Princess in September out of Brooklyn, so we would need it then, but after that, not until possibly next year for a few days in Manhattan.  And is the NY EZPass usable in NJ? Looks like I have a lot of research to do.

 

And thanks for the Taconic Pkway, I hadn't driven it before, seems a great option. No, we definitely aren't in a hurry

[meadowlander]

In today's news...as of July 10 toll booths on the George Washington Bridge, connecting NJ & NY, will be gone. For those without EZ Pass, license plate will be photographed and a bill will be mailed. The article stated that the Lincoln Tunnel will also be toll booth free later this year but no specific date given.

[mking8288]

@lx200gps - Best advice that I can offer is to call E-ZPass® Customer Service Center at 1-800-333-8655 about vehicles registered in Canada provinces as there are border "commuters" and travelers, especially at the Niagara Falls crossings with tolls involved on the U.S. side.  They should be able to tell you whether you can use it or not, thus buy it.  Refilling it with Canadian credit/debit card should be okay, I think but not 100% sure - ask them.

 

That $25 initial or upfront charge includes an allowance for tolls, plus the deposit/costs for the "transponder" itself - once you activate it, you link up a credit card with it and additional tolls are deducted.  For most NYC toll-by-mail crossing (i.e. between Bronx and Queens or Manhattan & Brooklyn, toll by mail is over $10 per one-way crossing vs. $6 and change for using EZ-Pass)  The savings and/or extra costs to be billed using toll-by-mail really add up quickly, not to mention the USD-CAD exchange rates ...  

 

Bridge & tunnel crossing from NJ into NY is $16+ with cash lanes (and, slow ... very slow especially during peak travel time) vs. discounted EZ-Pass that lowered it by a few dollars each time.   Even if you only use it once or twice a year, should save you money & most importantly, time in zipping thru during rush hour.  I use it on rental cars when we drive north to Canada (Niagara crossings) as we plan to later this month, no problem with billing on the US side whatsoever, just have to make sure it's windshield mounted & scanner readable.  

 

I would think that at PriceChopper at Plattsburgh & elsewhere, they probably keep it behind the cashier's counter, ask the sales or cashier for it - call ahead (use the link to find the #) to make sure it's available for sale & where.  Do a restroom or coffee break, register & activate it, mount and go - resume the drive toward NYC area.  

 

EZ-Pass accepted/used in NJ, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, MA, Rhode Island, Maine & NH, etc. - you won't get extra "resident" discounts for those states but the basic EZP rates are given vs. the cash/toll-by-mail rate.  Actually, in late 2019 just before the pandemic hit ... we overnighted in Port Canaveral, rented a car & drive into Orlando area, used our NY-issued EZPass there on their toll road in the rental car.

 

Taconic Pkwy is about 3.5 hours of easy driving between Albany & NYC vs. 3 hours on I-87, no trucks or buses, just passenger vehicles & light traffic off-peak ... 2 lanes each way, go easy & watch for curves, hills & winding turns ... plan ahead for restroom stops - there is a traveler's plaza/rest stop about midpoint.  Nowadays, folks are rushing or pushing everywhere else, we just rather go easy - buckle up & enjoy the scenic mountains & hills.

 

You can take I-287 West toward Nyack after exiting the Taconic in Westchester, cross the Hudson River at the Mario Cuomo (formerly Tappan Zee) Bridge into NJ for Rt. 17 or Palisades Interstate Parkway, etc.staying overnight in NJ - Google Maps/Waze was excellent with cellular coverage on the Taconic (whether it's Android or Apple Car Play)  

 

Again, have a nice & safe trip and happy cruising.  

[lx200gps]

After researching the EZ-Pass website, it seems pretty straightforward to set up a "Pass On The Go" for $25, but with one big problem for us. The EZ-Pass On The Go tag is only usable the day AFTER registration.  So we'll be able to use it for our return drive next week, but not for our trip down tomorrow.  No big deal, and it will clearly help us on the drive home, as well as our trip back down in September for our sailing out of Brooklyn.

 

To access the Taconic Parkway from around Albany, it seems the most practical way is to leave I87 and take I90 for 20+ miles to the start of the Pkway. Upon leaving I90, there's a toll gantry at East Chatham with a sign:  "Electronic Tolling Ahead No EZPass Call **826 We Will Bill You"  They don't expect every driver to make a phone call do they?  I assume we just drive through such a station and a bill will arrive in the mail weeks later? 

[mking8288]

On 6/10/2022 at 7:45 AM, lx200gps said:

After researching the EZ-Pass website, it seems pretty straightforward to set up a "Pass On The Go" for $25, but  ... "Electronic Tolling Ahead No EZPass Call **826 We Will Bill You"  They don't expect every driver to make a phone call do they?  I assume we just drive through such a station and a bill will arrive in the mail weeks later? 

Just got a chance to read your post on the suggestion, glad that you can use it for vehicle with Canada tag(s) ... wish I could do the same in the greater Toronto area next week on those tolled express routes.

 

You should get a bill soon (after returning) about the balance owed, based on the cash rate.  If I recall correctly, there is a section for you to provide the billing authorities (I believe it's the NYS Thruway System for that section) with the newly minted EZ-Pass tag # ... and, possibly for the system to accept & charge you the EZP rate, maybe a surcharge for the billing - instead of the cash rate.  It not, just pay the amount on the invoice.  Going back home would now be a lot easier and of course, for your September trip.  Just remember to link up with a credit card to auto-refill/add funds to it, or prepaid ahead & add sufficient $$ for the road trip ahead ... Google Maps is nice that, it will calculate & estimate the amount of toll based on the choice of route(s).  While on the move, you might need the aid of your co-pilot in the passenger seat to add funds, refill or input route data.