Drivers who don’t carry a wad of bills big enough to cover the Verrazano Bridge’s hefty $15 cash toll will soon be able to pay with the swipe of a credit or debit card.
The MTA announced it will outfit tollbooths at the bridge with card readers in the coming weeks, a move intended to improve traffic flow and safety.
Last year, the MTA started equipping booth operators with tablets to scan the cards of commercial drivers, instead of pulling trucks over at the toll plaza.
The new initiative will also improve safety for MTA Bridge and Tunnel cops, who will no longer be forced to walk across the plaza in traffic to tend to drivers.
E-ZPass customers with insufficient balances will also be able to take advantage of the card-enabled booths, but will have to pay the full $15 fare instead of the discounted rate of $10.66.
MTA officials said they hope to eventually roll out the program at all its bridges and tunnels.