As subprime fallout ripples across the country, several states are planning to increase road, bridge, and tunnel tolls, and not by mere pennies, USA Today reports. The George Washington Bridge, for example—which lets New Jerseyites into the Big Apple—will raise its rush hour price from $5 to $8 for cars, and $35 for trucks. One official defended the move, saying, "People view highways as free, but they're not."
Pending and proposed toll increases include:
- California's Golden Gate Bridge: set to rise by $1, including a possible $2 exit toll.
- Indiana Toll Road: will double to $8 in April.
- New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway: will rise by half every 4 years after 2010.
- Pennsylvania's Interstate 80: The state is seeking federal permission to charge car drivers $25 and truckers $93.
For more on the toll spikes, click the link below. (More
toll stories.)