Atlantic City Expressway To Go Cashless in 2026; Toll Hikes Loom for New Jersey Highways

The Atlantic City Expressway will stop accepting cash on Jan. 4. E-ZPass becomes mandatory.

Drivers lacking a valid E-ZPass account face a 100% surcharge on their tolls, with bills mailed 30 days after their first unpaid toll or when charges hit $50.

Each bill carries a $1 administrative fee. Miss the 30-day payment window? A $5 late fee gets added.

When the cashless system starts on Jan. 4, the expressway will also implement a 3% toll bump for everyone who uses it.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway will see their tolls climb 3% on Jan. 1, affecting thousands who depend on these routes each day.

The Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Betsy Ross bridges will keep current toll rates, the Delaware River Port Authority confirmed. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is partway through a two-phase toll increase plan.

Phase 1 started earlier this year when the Delaware River & Bay Authority boosted the bridge's cash toll rate. Phase 2 could bring price increases for all bridge users as soon as Jan. 1, 2027.

The authority says rates won't increase until 2027, according to Patch.

These changes hit drivers across southern New Jersey hard. Cherry Hill residents will feel it. So will people in Collingswood, Haddonfield, Haddon Township, and Gloucester Township. Anyone who travels these routes often should prepare for bigger bills.

The move to cashless tolling mirrors what's happening nationwide as transportation agencies abandon traditional toll booths, aiming to reduce traffic jams while cutting costs.