WASHINGTON—Following the release of an interim audit on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that called the agency “dysfunctional” and cited poor management and a lack of cost controls, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) renewed his call for legislation that would restore the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ability to determine whether certain toll hikes are “just and reasonable.”

On August 19th the Port Authority approved an increase in toll hikes that will raise tolls for cars between New Jersey and New York from $8.00 to $15.00 by 2015. For cars with E-Z Pass, the toll will be raised from $8 to $12.50 over the same period of time. 5-axle trucks that currently pay $40 dollars will have to pay up to $105 by 2015.

“It’s outrageous that an agency deemed 'dysfunctional' by an independent auditor would reach into commuters’ wallets to bail out fiscal problems brought on by bad management,” stated Lautenberg. “This audit and the recent reports of patronage jobs have made it clearer than ever that there’s a need for basic commuter protections to be put in place at the Port Authority. The Port Authority is Exhibit A of why Congress needs to pass my legislation to restore the federal government’s authority over unjust toll rates.”

On December 16, 2011, Lautenberg and U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) introduced the Commuter Protection Act, which would restore USDOT’s ability to determine whether tolls on bridges and tunnels imposed by toll authorities are "just and reasonable." Up until 1987, USDOT had the authority to determine whether any tolls charged to drivers were "just and reasonable" upon a complaint. Under the legislation, if the tolls were deemed unfair, the Secretary could prescribe a more reasonable maximum toll that could be charged.

The bill would also require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on and make recommendations for increasing the transparency and accountability of tolling authority budget practices.

The legislation has drawn support from AAA New York, AAA Clubs of New Jersey, the American Trucking Association, the American Highway Users Alliance, the American Motorcyclist Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.