Commuters, here's what to expect from NJ Transit, Amtrak and more in 2025

Getting around the Garden State can be frustrating, expensive and at times, maddening.

That was surely the case this past year, with battles over New York's controversial congestion pricing plan, continued struggles at NJ Transit, toll increases on our roads and more.

For 2025, get used to more of the same. The good news is that there are major projects underway to fix some of the problems that plague our transportation systems ― like the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River.

Here's a rundown of some of the changes to transportation expected in 2025.

• New Jersey commuters will get hit with a congestion pricing toll starting Jan. 5 if they enter Manhattan below 60th Street. That includes drivers using the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, which already have Port Authority tolls. The new toll is intended to reduce traffic in Manhattan, improve air quality and help fund the city's mass transit. The toll will be $9 for passenger and small commercial vehicles from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. It will be $2.25 for overnight periods. Trucks will pay more. A credit for those with E-ZPass using the Lincoln and Holland tunnels will lower the toll by up to $3.
• In January, drivers will have to absorb the fifth 3% toll increase since 2020 on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. That comes after a 2020 move by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority — which oversees both highways — that gave the agency the authority to increase the tolls automatically by 3% each year through a process called “indexing.” The toll hikes will finance the Turnpike Authority’s $2.7 billion budget. 
• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a $1 toll increase at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, as well as the George Washington, Bayonne and Goethals bridges and the Outerbridge Crossing. Drivers currently pay $15.38 during rush hour to use any of those river crossings. Tolls will increase by 25 cents on Jan. 5, 2025, followed by additional 25-cent increases between 2026 and 2028, in addition to automatic toll hikes based on inflation.
• The Port Authority will increase PATH fares by 25 cents — the first increase since October 2014. But the agency is rolling out a 50% discount program for riders with disabilities starting in the summer of 2025. 
• To support proposed higher wages for the lowest-paid airport workers, the Port Authority is allowing concessionaires at Newark Liberty International Airport to raise their prices in 2025 to a maximum of 15% higher than the local, off-airport street prices. Shops had been capped at 10% higher than local businesses. Agency officials said the price increases and higher wages are justified, because they would help retain talent at a time when the Port Authority is modernizing its airports. 
• In mid- to late January, the second of three giant arches will be barged down the Hudson River and up the Hackensack to support a new rail bridge being constructed for NJ Transit. The Portal North Bridge will replace the current bridge, which swings open to let river traffic pass through. It often gets stuck, causing frustrating delays for NJ Transit and Amtrak riders headed into and out of Manhattan. The new bridge will rise 50 feet over the Hackensack River. It will be a fixed span that eliminates the need to open and close. It should be operational by late 2026.