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In short: The Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (still called the Triborough) costs a car $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass, $9.79 Mid-Tier or $12.03 by mail, for each crossing. On a taxi, green cab or FHV trip within the city the passenger pays it, at the actual E-ZPass amount. On Uber and Lyft, the company must pay you back every toll you paid on a dispatched trip.
RFK Bridge rates (Class 1 car)
- The $7.46 E-ZPass rate is only for NYCSC (New York Customer Service Center) tags. "Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates" (MTA), so a New Jersey or Pennsylvania tag pays $12.03 here.
- Mid-Tier ($9.79) is for NYCSC customers whose tag is not properly mounted or whose crossing was charged by plate.
- The bridge is cashless. With no account, a toll bill goes to the registered owner.
One bridge, three legs, two toll plazas
The RFK joins Manhattan (at 125th Street), Queens (Astoria) and the Bronx, meeting on Randall's Island. The MTA's crossings data reports it as two facilities:
- RFK Bridge Bronx plaza: 52,574,751 crossings in 2025, 83.2% by E-ZPass. Its two directions are labeled "Northbound to Manhattan or Bronx" (29,770,917) and "Southbound to Manhattan or Queens" (22,803,834).
- RFK Bridge Manhattan plaza: 17,415,357 crossings in 2025, 86.9% by E-ZPass, all labeled "Eastbound to Bronx or Queens".
Together that is about 70 million crossings in 2025, more than any other MTA facility except the Verrazzano (our sums of ebfx-2m7v, fetched October 12, 2026). The dataset counts all traffic, whether or not a toll was later paid.
Who pays on a TLC trip
TLC's 2023 round-trip toll rule says that on trips within New York City the passenger pays "all tolls incurred during the trip". The only exceptions are certain trips over the Verrazzano, Cross Bay and Marine Parkway bridges (TLC promulgation). The RFK is not an exception.
The return toll is yours. If you take a passenger from Manhattan to LaGuardia over the RFK and drive back the same way empty, the second crossing is a cost of your shift, not the passenger's.
Common TLC routes over the RFK
- LaGuardia ↔ Upper Manhattan, the Bronx or the West Side. The RFK is the direct link from Astoria and LaGuardia to Harlem and the Bronx.
- Bronx ↔ Queens. The RFK competes with the Bronx-Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges, both at the same $7.46.
- Toll-free alternatives exist for some trips, such as the Queensboro Bridge into Midtown. TLC rules say: follow the passenger's reasonable routing request, and if there is none, take "the shortest reasonable route" (§80-16(a), fine $100–$150). The passenger pays whatever tolls the route incurs. If you are unsure, ask the passenger before you choose. More: toll bridge or free route with a passenger? and TLC overcharging rules.
Example: a yellow taxi from LaGuardia to Harlem
A passenger gets in at the LaGuardia taxi line at 11 a.m. on a weekday and asks for an address on West 125th Street over the RFK. Here is what goes on the fare besides the meter, using TLC's taxi fare page and rules as of October 12, 2026:
| Item | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
| RFK toll | $7.46 | NYCSC E-ZPass rate, added at the end of the trip (§58-26(e)) |
| LaGuardia surcharge | $5.00 | All yellow taxi trips to and from LGA (§58-26(a)(2)(iii)) |
| Airport access fee | $2.00 | Port Authority fee on taxi pickups at LGA and JFK (details) |
| MTA State Surcharge | $0.50 | Trip ends in New York City |
| Improvement surcharge | $1.00 | Every taxi trip |
| Congestion charges | $0 | 125th Street is north of 96th Street and of the 60th Street zone line |
At 5 p.m. the $2.50 weekday rush-hour surcharge would be added, and after 8 p.m. the $1.00 overnight surcharge. If the same passenger were going to Midtown, the state congestion surcharge and the MTA per-trip charge would apply too.
Other MTA crossings: Verrazzano-Narrows, Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, and the Port Authority's George Washington Bridge and Bayonne Bridge. Uber and Lyft drivers: tolls are paid back separately from minimum pay. Borough guides: Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. All crossings: tolls hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the RFK (Triborough) Bridge toll?
For a car: $7.46 with a New York (NYCSC) E-ZPass, $9.79 Mid-Tier and $12.03 Tolls by Mail, at MTA rates effective January 4, 2026.
What extras does a yellow taxi passenger pay on a LaGuardia to Harlem trip over the RFK?
On top of the meter: the $7.46 E-ZPass toll, the $5.00 LaGuardia surcharge, the $2.00 airport access fee for a pickup, the $0.50 MTA State Surcharge and the $1.00 improvement surcharge, plus any time-of-day surcharge. Harlem is outside both congestion charge areas.
Who pays the RFK toll on a taxi trip from LaGuardia to Manhattan?
The passenger, at the actual E-ZPass amount. On trips within New York City, TLC rules make the passenger pay all tolls incurred during the trip.
Can I take the RFK instead of a free bridge with a passenger?
You must take the shortest reasonable route unless the passenger asks for a specific route (TLC rule 80-16(a)). If the passenger asks for the RFK, follow the request; the toll is the passenger's.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- MTA Bridges & Tunnels: Tolls by vehicle type mta.info
- TLC Rules, Chapter 58 (§58-26) nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 59 (§59A-23, §59D-17) nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 80 (§80-16(a) route, §80-15(d) E-ZPass) nyc.gov
- TLC Notice of Promulgation: Payment of Round-Trip Tolls (2023) nyc.gov
- NY Open Data: MTA Bridges and Tunnels Hourly Crossings (ebfx-2m7v) data.ny.gov
- NYC TLC: Taxi Fare nyc.gov
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.
TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.