1. Gas prices increased
You may have noticed long lines at gas stations in the final days of December. That’s because the NJ tax on gas increased by 4.2 cents per gallon on Jan. 1, bringing the total tax per gallon to 49.1 cents. Funds from the tax go to the state’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), which supports improvements to the State’s roads and bridges. Under NJ law, the TTF is required to provide nearly $11 billion in improvements over five years.
2. (Some) tolls went up too
Most people in South Jersey will only see the increase in tolls – 3% – on the Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City Expressway and NJ Turnpike. (Our bridges, which are run by the Delaware Valley River Port Authority, will not see an increase.)
3. (Some) tolls are now cashless
The Atlantic City Expressway has converted to a cashless pay system, so you either pay the toll with an E-ZPass, or your license plate will be read electronically at the toll, and you’ll receive a bill in the mail. Catch is, the price for non-E-ZPass drivers is significantly higher. If you drive the length of the expressway, E-ZPass drivers will pay $6.30, while toll-by-plate drivers will pay $13.60. Authorities say the extra dollars will pay for administrative costs to manage the toll-by-plate process.
4. Minimum wage increased
For most minimum-wage employees, their hourly pay increased 43 cents, to $15.92. For tipped workers, the hourly pay increased to $6.05. For some businesses, though – any with fewer than six employees – the new hourly wage requirement is $15.23. Those businesses will continue to see a gradual minimum wage increase until 2028 in an effort to ease the impact to the company. The attention to the minimum wage started in 2018, when Gov. Murphy took office and pledged to increase the state’s minimum wage, which was then $8.60.
5. Cell phones banned in schools
As one of former Gov. Murphy’s last acts, he signed a bill that would require every NJ school district to adopt phone-free policies that limit student use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices during the school day (the term used to describe the restriction timing is “bell-to-bell”). The move reflects growing concern over distractions, students’ mental health and the impact constant connectivity has on learning. New Jersey’s Dept. of Education is also offering grants to some school districts to help them create and implement the new policies. Funds could pay for things like locked pouch systems, check-in cabinets and employee training. School districts in every county received funding, which totaled almost a million dollars.
6. E-bikes & Mopeds: They’re now the same
A new law now classifies e-bikes the same as motorized bicycles or mopeds, which means drivers must carry a valid, standard driver’s license or a motorized bicycle license, and have registration and insurance for the vehicle. A major change in the law: E-bike riders must be at least 15 years old. Riders who are 15 and 16 are required to have a motorized bicycle license and wear a helmet. The laws apply to all e-bikes, including those with fully operable pedals.
