New York is mostly famous for its entertainment industry. From the TV studios at Rockefeller Plaza to Broadway – the portfolio of exciting attractions is wider than anywhere in the world. The city is a real tourist magnet, and many people consider it the best place ever. There is no other city on the globe with energy that competes with New York! The hustle and bustle of the people and the buzzing traffic require serious skills and patience to conquer if you want to drive across the city.

Tolled facilities in New York

New York has over thirty toll roads. For a tourist, this may be quite complicated to know where they are and how to pay tolls on each toll road. The toll system is extensive and most of the toll roads and bridges are cashless. At a high level, there are three categories of toll roads in New York.

New York State Thruway system (the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway)

It spans approximately 570 miles across the state and is one of the longest toll superhighway systems in the US. It connects New York City and Buffalo – the state’s two largest cities. It consists of many sections and each of them has its own toll rate. Right in New York, there are two toll roads you will probably use while visiting the city:

• Niagara Connector (Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway / Niagara Section)

It connects Buffalo to Niagara Falls. The Niagara Connector is 21.60 miles (34.76 km) long. It is located on Interstate 190.

• New England Thruway (Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway / New England Section)

Located on Interstate 95, this toll road connects Pelham Parkway in the Bronx to the Connecticut state line. It is 15 miles (24.14 km) long. What may seem weird to tourists, this segment doesn’t actually run through any part of New England.

New York toll bridges

NY toll bridges connect New York City with New Jersey, across the border with Ontario, and metro areas within New York. Below you will find a complete list of New York toll bridges:

• Atlantic Beach Bridge that connects New York City with Atlantic Beach. It spans the Reynolds Channel.

• Bayonne Bridge that spans the Kill Van Kull. It connects Bayonne to the Port Richmond area of Staten Island.

• Bear Mountain Bridge. It connects Rockland and Orange counties with Westchester and Putnam counties.

• Bronx-Whitestone Bridge spanning the East Hudson River. It connects Queens with the Bronx.

• Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge connecting Broad Channel with the Rockaway Peninsula.

• George Washington Bridge spanning the Hudson River. It connects Fort Lee to Washington Heights.

• Henry Hudson Bridge connecting the Spuyten Duyvil Creek in the Bronx with Manhattan.

• Grand Island Bridge. It spans the Niagara River connecting Grand Island to Tonawanda.

• Goethals Bridge connecting Elizabeth with Howland Hook.

• Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge spanning the Hudson River. It connects Kingston to Rhinecliff.

• Lewiston-Queenston Bridge spanning the Niagara Gorge.

• Marine Parkway – Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge that connects the Rockaway Peninsula with the Marine Park section of Brooklyn.

• Mid-Hudson Bridge that connects Highland to Poughkeepsie.

• Newburgh-Beacon Bridge spanning the Hudson River and connecting Newburgh with Beacon.

• Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge connecting Ogdensburg with Prescott.

• Peace Bridge spanning the Niagara River and connecting Buffalo with Fort Erie.

• Rainbow Bridge connecting Niagara Falls, NY with Niagara Falls, ON.

• Rip Van Winkle Bridge connecting Hudson with Catskill.

• Seaway International Bridge that consists of two bridges spanning the north and south channels of the St. Lawrence Seaway. They connect Massena with Cornwall.

• Mario Cuomo Bridge connecting Hudson with Tarrytown.

• Thousand Islands Bridge spanning the St. Lawrence River. It connects New York with Ontario in Canada.

• Throgs Neck Bridge. It connects the Bronx with Queens.

• Robert F. Kennedy Bridge that consists of three bridges. They span the Harlem River, Bronx Kill, and East River and connect Queens, Manhattan, and Bronx.

• Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island to Manhattan.

• Whirlpool Rapids Bridge connecting the commercial districts of Niagara Falls, NY with Niagara Falls, ON.

New York toll tunnels

Like NY toll bridges, NY toll tunnels connect the city with New Jersey and other metro areas within New York. For those connecting New York with New Jersey, you only pay tolls while entering New York. Currently, there are four toll tunnels in New York:

• Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn Battery) Tunnel. It carries traffic under the East River. The tunnel connects Brooklyn with Manhattan.

• Holland Tunnel under the Hudson River. It connects Jersey City to Manhattan.

• Lincoln Tunnel under the Hudson River. The tunnel connects Weehawken to Midtown.

• Queens-Midtown Tunnel under the East River. The tunnel connects Queens to Midtown Manhattan.

How to pay tolls in New York

Most NY tolls are cashless. Usually, drivers pay tolls using toll passes like E-ZPass, NexusCard, ExpressPass, or NationalPass. It’s the simplest way as you can easily set automatic replenishment which is convenient if you want to drive through every toll facility with confidence. Your monthly replenishment amount is based on your travel history. You can also pay per trip instead of charging your card to maintain a minimum balance on your pass.

If you are about to drive on a New York toll road or cross a tolled bridge, you can also pay using a toll road billing app such as Uproad. With Uproad, you simply need to download the app to your smartphone and register your vehicle. Activation is usually completed within 24 hours. Uproad covers the cost of your tolls and offers violation protection, as well as the ability to drive on other toll roads around the country.