Can you go to Staten Island without paying toll?

To get to Staten Island by car, there are three bridges from New Jersey and one bridge from Brooklyn. They all charge a toll. Therfore, it is not possible to drive to Staten Island without paying a toll.



In 2026, you can enter Staten Island from New Jersey without paying a toll, but leaving the island or entering from Brooklyn will always incur a fee. All Port Authority crossings (the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge) only charge tolls for eastbound traffic (entering New York); westbound trips to New Jersey are free. However, if you are traveling from Brooklyn via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, tolls are now collected in both directions to reduce congestion. For a high-fidelity "free" passenger experience, you can take the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan, which remains free for pedestrians and provides a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty. If you are driving, the high-fidelity reality is that you can get into the island for free from the west, but you must factor in a toll of approximately $15–$18 (unless using E-ZPass discounts) for your return trip or any crossing into the other boroughs.

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It's FREE and you can either get off and spend some time on Staten Island, or simply disembark, walk around and get back on the ferry returning to Manhattan. It is about an hour round-trip.

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Once arriving in St. George terminal, the ferry docks and all passengers have to exit the ferry. So you can't stay on it. If you want to take a full round-trip, walk through the terminal to the departure gates on the Staten Island side, and you can board the next ferry back to Manhattan.

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There are several ways to pay tolls in New York City: E-ZPass, Tolls by Mail, and Pay Toll Now. No matter how you pay, you can use any lane. Only E-ZPass will get you a discount of 30-50 percent.

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The registered owner will receive a violation notice in the mail (usually within two weeks). Each violation transaction is assessed a $57.50 penalty in addition to the toll amount due. If the registered owner has no previous violations, the penalties will be waived. This is a courtesy for first time violators only.

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You can pay for USA toll roads in multiple ways. Barrier or ticket systems usually have the option to pay via cash or card at a booth. However, tolls will predominantly be paid for online or with transponders. Or alternatively, you can choose to avoid them!

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When departing from Manhattan, the trip to Staten Island takes about 25-30 minutes. Once arriving in St. George terminal, the ferry docks and all passengers have to exit the ferry.

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The nine-vessel fleet shepherds 22 million people every year, or roughly only one third of all the people who reside in and visit NYC. With 117 daily trips that showcase views of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, the ferry serves not just as a journey but also a destination unto itself.

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The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with boats leaving every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes at other times. Apart from NYC Ferry's St. George route, it is the only direct mass-transit connection between the two boroughs.

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