N.Y. Port Authority Recovers over $25 Million in 2023 from Toll Evaders

by Mindy Cohn

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced yesterday that in 2023, it recovered over $25 million from toll evaders, a fourteen percent increase from the year before.

This Port Authority credits the increase to additional cooperative efforts in sharing toll evasion information with regional partners, increased targeted patrols, streamlined and improved internal data collection, leveraging various types of license plate reader systems on the road, and utilizing cooperative police technology to catch evaders. 

"With increased patrols and the deployment of more technology across our infrastructure, we will catch toll violators, and they will pay what they owe," said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole in a press release yesterday. "Tolls fund the critical infrastructure that stitch our region together, and drivers will not be able to skate by and steal."

On Friday, one such repeat toll evader was caught using a device to block his license plate while approaching the George Washington Bridge. He was subsequently arrested for owing the Port Authority $19,767, including $5,167 in tolls and $14,600 in fees over 292 known unpaid violations.

The driver was charged with theft of service, tampering with a government document, and possession of burglar's tools. 

Owing nearly $20,000 did not earn the toll cheat a place among 2023's top ten toll evaders, though. The top ten toll cheats of 2023 were ordered to pay the largest civil judgments yet to the Port Authority in 2023 as a result of their unpaid tolls and fees.

The highest toll evader of 2023 was a Trucking Corp from Weehawken, N.J., which owes $201,358.53 in unpaid tolls. Other trucking companies included one from Reading, Pa., which owes $185,045.90; one from Lodi, N.J., which owes $141,077.06; one from Englewood, N.J., which owes $135,867.70; and one from Teaneck, N.J. which owes $134,801.69.