Most customers at the Coffee Shoppe on High Street work in Portsmouth, so they're not making a special trip to the cash registers. But when the workweek is finished, business wilts.
Business owners up and down High Street say the tolls are strangling them. Some say it broke their businesses.
And the toll rates are going up again January 1.
The 20 percent bump is part of the contract that lets the private tolling company raise rates each January. And it's a contract that businesses say hurts more each year.
The tolls have been so damaging to Cathy Revel that she's marketing her business differently. She' s not even trying to lure shoppers from across the river.
The 2016 E-ZPass toll rates at the Downtown and Midtown tunnels are as follows:
- Passenger vehicles (two axles, including motorcycles):
- $1.25 during the off-peak period
- $1.50 during peak period
- Heavy vehicles (three or more axles, includes cars with trailers)
- $3.75 during the off-peak period
- $6.00 during the peak period
Peak period is Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m.—9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. All other times, including weekends and designated holidays, are considered off-peak. Unregistered Pay by Plate users will pay a $2.50 processing fee per trip, in addition to the toll. Motorists are encouraged to sign up for E-ZPass to pay the lowest toll rate without processing fees.
