Most tollbridges and turnpikes these days charge tolls only in one direction. This makes sense, since it saves time and trouble for travelers and salaries for tolltakers. Charging half the vehicles twice as much should even out in the long run. The George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel charge only east-bound vehicles, the Delaware Memorial Bridge only south-bound vehicles, and the bridge at the Delaware Water Gap on I-80 only west-bound vehicles. It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure that an iron bridge in Trenton I once crossed while lost and the bridge that connects the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Turnpikes also charge only west-bound traffic.
If I'm not mistaken, in every single case you have to pay to get out of New Jersey. Are there exceptions elsewhere in the state? There is a small bridge in the far northwest corner of the state that charges both ways, but it's privately owned. A man stands in the middle of the two lanes on the Pennsylvania side taking 75 cents from people going both ways. I wonder if the publicly-owned bridges have studied the question and determined that people are willing to pay more to get out of New Jersey than to get in.
Posted by Dr. Weevil at November 30, 2002 05:42 PMAssuming my brain hasn't gone on hiatus for the week, I recall crossing the Delaware River on eastbound US 202 north of New Hope (Bucks County), Pennsylvania this summer and actually paying a small sum (25 cents, in fact) for the privilege of entering New Jersey.
Unfortunately, when I left New Jersey, I was heading into New York, so I can't tell you if the toll is charged in both directions.
There is one way that I know of. If you take Route 17 all the way up through Ramsey you can get into New York without paying a toll (at least that's how it was 5 years ago). That takes you into Suffern, New York.
I believe you can also get to New Hope, PA without paying a toll.
Posted by: Jay Caruso on December 1, 2002 07:32 AMIt's long been a joke of mine that you have to pay to leave NJ but not pay to get in. They know what people are willing to pay for! I know you have to pay on I-78 leaving but not when you arrive; and the tunnels into Manhattan you pay going in but not on the way out. I can't remember getting out free, or paying to come in. But then I try to forget I'm in NJ most days anyway.
Posted by: susanna on December 1, 2002 05:21 PMSigh. Susanna, it's long been a joke of New Yorkers. Razzafrazzagoddamnelitistsnoblousydrivingnewyorkers.
Delaware, however, is the scum of the earth when it comes to paying tolls, and has been flayed by none other than the National Review for the amount Delaware robs from travelers.
Posted by: Meryl Yourish on December 3, 2002 10:30 PMI'd second the Delaware bashing. I don't know my NJ geography, but it makes sense that if any bridges are at all close to gether, then you have to put all the charges on them going to the same way. Otherwise people can avoid the tolls by going in one way and back the other.
You don't pay when heading west into NJ on the Outerbridge Crossing (called so coz it's named after someone whose last name was Outerbridge. So it couldn't be called the Outerbridge Bridge) which connects NJ and southern Staten Island, NY. You only pay when entering NY. I'm thinking it's the same for the bridge which connects northern Staten Island with NJ, but I forget if that's the the Goethal's Bridge or the Bayonne?
Posted by: carol s. on December 7, 2002 02:29 PMIs there a way to get from VA to NY paying the least amount of tolls. It now cost $38.00 roundtrip to get to NY. Is there an alternate route with less tolls?
Posted by: Jay on January 22, 2004 06:32 PM