Cashless Tolling Goes Live at Rip Van Winkle Bridge

HUDSON – The New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) announced that cashless tolling has been implemented as of November 1 at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, connecting Catskill and Hudson, N.Y.

Motorists now experience non-stop travel under a gantry with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images. Vehicles with E-ZPass tags will be automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags will have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle via Tolls by Mail NY.

The overhead gantry with the cashless tolling equipment was constructed on the west approach to the bridge, in the vicinity of the Administration Building. As with all Hudson River bridges, tolls are collected from eastbound travelers only.

The current tollbooths, which were opened in 2003, are scheduled to be removed over the course of the next week. Removing the tollbooths will ensure that the roadway remains clear of obstructions in order to allow safer and smoother movement of traffic. While the toll booth demolition is taking place, drivers will be routed through the current toll plaza area and are asked to proceed with caution.

In spring 2022, the toll plaza reconfiguration project will kick off, leading to straighter travel lanes for traffic going in both directions. Notably, westbound travelers who have just crossed the bridge will no longer need to hook to the right to pass around a tollbooth.

Rather, they will keep traveling straight through, in the vicinity of where Lanes 2 and 3 of the tollbooths currently are. By not having to change lanes, engage in stop-and-go traffic, or pass through a narrow tollbooth lane, traffic is expected to proceed at a safer pace with fewer chances of accidents in the toll plaza area.

In addition to smoother and safer travel, cashless tolling also offers environmental benefits due to less engine idling and wasted fuel, leading to fewer vehicle emissions.

Staffing Plans
While there will no longer be toll collecting staff in physical booths, some of the toll collecting and bridge operations staff at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge have transitioned to new part-time and full-time security technician positions to staff the facility during the same hours that the bridge was staffed prior to going cashless. These staff members will maintain many of the operational functions that were performed by toll collecting operations staff, such as assisting with emergency response and on-site security monitoring. In addition, all spans operated by the New York State Bridge Authority are monitored 24/7 by the Authority’s Command Center.

Bridge Authority’s Cashless Tolling Project Continues
Cashless tolling has been in use on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge since July 7 and at the Bear Mountain Bridge since Oct. 1. The Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge is expected to go cashless sometime in December. The Bridge Authority expects all five of its crossings to be cashless by March 2022.

All drivers without an E-ZPass tag are strongly encouraged to obtain a tag to take advantage of savings and convenience. Tags can be ordered at www.e-zpassny.com or picked up at a number of retailers across the State. NY E-ZPass users pay discounted toll rates at Bridge Authority facilities and on other toll roads within the E-ZPass network.

Non-E-ZPass customers have a number of options to pay, including by mail, over the phone, online, and via the Tolls NY app. Customers who call **826 from most mobile devices will receive a text message with a link to the Tolls by Mail NY website (www.tollsbymailny.com) and information on how to pay their toll bill. All Tolls by Mail customers will pay the full rate on tolls.

The Bridge Authority recommends all drivers download the Tolls NY mobile app to easily keep track of E-ZPass statements and to pay Tolls by Mail invoices.