Monday Madness: A Pissed Off Jersey Traveler Paying Expensive Tolls

The new prices.
I like to take pics of nonsense like this
as I'm waiting or stuck in traffic.

I got a little white piece of paper handed to me when I paid my toll on the Garden State Parkway this past Friday evening. 


It was sort of like a "Happy New Year, have fun paying more money soon!" type of gesture as the toll attendant handed me info that listed out the new toll rate schedules for this year on the Parkway.


**Angry face**


I have to go through the Union toll plaza on the Parkway almost everyday when I go to one of my jobs and I'm already thinking of local ways to go to my second job just so I can avoid the Turnpike, maybe 1&9 will do? 


This alternate route may take longer with all the traffic lights but this increase is seriously gonna hurt my pockets.


The increase is the second part of a two-phase toll increase adopted by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority under the administration of former Gov. Corzine in October 2008. 




Under the new increases, according to reports, toll rates on the Parkway will increase from $0.35 to $0.50 for ramp tolls, from $0.50 to $0.75 for two-way toll plazas, and from $1 to $1.50 for one-way toll plazas. Oh and if you're driving on the Turnpike and headed towards New York, forget about it!


So to greet my New Years I paid $1.50 yesterday instead of my normal $1, one-way trip. Which doesn't seem like a lot, only 50 cents right? 


But when traveling everyday and I'm sure I'm not the only one, this will be like hundreds of dollars down the drain just from the new toll increases.


And where is my hard earned money going? State capitol projects? Road and bridge repairs? Like what exactly? Do we not already pay enough? Are we not already taxed enough? We as in New Jerseyan's. 


Oh the joys of commuting far to go to work. I always say I'm very happy to be employed, but it seems like the cost of everything is rising, all expect my salary!