Editing Sydney Harbour Bridge (section)

===Tolls===
[[File:Sydney Harbour Bridge toll gates, 1933.jpg|thumb|Northbound view of toll gates, 1933]]

The vehicular traffic lanes on the bridge are operated as a [[toll road]]. Since January 2009, there is a variable tolling system for all vehicles headed into the CBD (southbound). The toll paid is dependent on the time of day in which the vehicle passes through the toll plaza. The toll varies from a minimum value of $2.50 to a maximum value of $4.<ref>[https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/tolling/toll-costs-by-road Toll costs by road] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804194507/https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/tolling/toll-costs-by-road |date=4 August 2022 }} Government of New South Wales</ref> There is no toll for northbound traffic (though taxis travelling north may charge passengers the toll in anticipation of the toll the taxi must pay on the return journey). In 2017, the Bradfield Highway northern toll plaza infrastructure was removed and replaced with new overhead gantries to service all southbound traffic.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-inner/sydney-harbour-bridge/tolling-projects/northern-toll-plaza/index.html|title=Northern toll plaza precinct upgrade|work=Roads & Maritime Services|access-date=25 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925104407/https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-inner/sydney-harbour-bridge/tolling-projects/northern-toll-plaza/index.html|archive-date=25 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Following on from this upgrade, in 2018 all southern toll plaza infrastructure was also removed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-inner/sydney-harbour-bridge/tolling-projects/southern-toll-plaza/index.html|title=Southern toll plaza precinct upgrade|work=Roads & Maritime Services|access-date=25 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925141949/https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-inner/sydney-harbour-bridge/tolling-projects/southern-toll-plaza/index.html|archive-date=25 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Only the Cahill Expressway toll plaza infrastructure remains. The toll was originally placed on travel across the bridge, in both directions, to recoup the cost of its construction. This was paid off in 1988, but the toll has been kept (indeed increased) to recoup the costs of the [[Sydney Harbour Tunnel]].<ref>At Last! Sydney Harbour Bridge Paid For ''[[Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|Daily Telegraph]]'' 25 July 1988 page 1</ref><ref>[https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/dont-we-own-the-bridge-yet/news-story/470a79a8df85451a62546f1ee5a43a1f?sv=9d46fd6e74ef2ce70a1cf9189001bdf4 Don't we own the Bridge yet?] ''The Daily Telegraph'' 15 June 2009</ref>

Originally it cost a car or motorcycle six pence to cross, a horse and rider being three pence. Use of the bridge by bicycle riders (provided that they use the cycleway) and by pedestrians is free. Later governments capped the fee for motorcycles at one-quarter of the passenger-vehicle cost, but now it is again the same as the cost for a passenger vehicle, although quarterly flat-fee passes are available which are much cheaper for frequent users.<ref>{{cite web|title = Motorcyclists|url = https://www.myrta.com/wps/portal/extvp/myrta/etoll/motorcyclists/!ut/p/b1/dcrdEkJAGIDha-kK9ls_LYdGFIuIbwcnxmjGSPkpKl19uoDO3nfmITnJVCYz0DWVkZTkXfls6nJq-q68_j7fFnCwQoESo0ehATgnxeWyRNeSSbYC9hcYlCQkBaWIL9DPXDc-4BQ-N9vhYTsUd9gnIPPF1GZMUucev8ZYRDQOcFqqwsUEe-4PIUeYG9SmpX273tnzuN8FUOlU2JFlhMOYUtyQW76vv8TAB_4!/|website=Roads & Traffic Authority|access-date = 12 June 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150614025012/https://www.myrta.com/wps/portal/extvp/myrta/etoll/motorcyclists/!ut/p/b1/dcrdEkJAGIDha-kK9ls_LYdGFIuIbwcnxmjGSPkpKl19uoDO3nfmITnJVCYz0DWVkZTkXfls6nJq-q68_j7fFnCwQoESo0ehATgnxeWyRNeSSbYC9hcYlCQkBaWIL9DPXDc-4BQ-N9vhYTsUd9gnIPPF1GZMUucev8ZYRDQOcFqqwsUEe-4PIUeYG9SmpX273tnzuN8FUOlU2JFlhMOYUtyQW76vv8TAB_4!/|archive-date = 14 June 2015|url-status = live|df = dmy-all}}</ref> Originally there were six toll booths at the southern end of the bridge, these were replaced by 16 booths in 1950.<ref>Sydney Harbour Bridge ''[[Truck & Bus Transportation]]'' March 1950 page 9</ref> The toll was charged in both directions until 4 July 1970 when changed to only be applied to southbound traffic.<ref>Introduction of One-Way Toll Collection on Sydney Harbour Bridge ''[[Main Roads (periodical)|Main Roads]]'' September 1970 pages 24/25</ref><ref>Reaching the North ''[[Trolley Wire]]'' issue 200 June 1982 page 23</ref>

After the decision to build the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was made in the early 1980s, the toll was increased (from 20 cents to $1, then to $1.50 in March 1989, and finally to $2 by the time the tunnel opened) to pay for its construction.<ref>Annual report for year ended 30 June 1989] [[Roads & Traffic Authority]]</ref> The tunnel also had an initial toll of $2 southbound. After the increase to $1, a [[Median strip|concrete barrier]] on the bridge separating the Bradfield Highway from the Cahill Expressway was increased in height, because of the large numbers of drivers crossing it illegally from lane 6 to 7, to avoid the toll.

The southbound toll was increased to $2.20 in July 2000 to account for the newly imposed [[Goods and services tax (Australia)|goods and services tax]] (GST).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2023/shb-tolling-summary-report.pdf |title=Sydney Harbour Bridge Tolling |publisher=[[Roads & Traffic Authority]] |date=March 2011 |isbn=9781921899126 |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801123319/https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2023/shb-tolling-summary-report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Frank |last2=West |first2=Andrew |date=1 July 2020 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/from-the-archives-2000-pm-howard-braves-public-s-reaction-to-gst-20200623-p555en.html |title=From the Archives, 2000: PM Howard braves public's reaction to GST |publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801123317/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/from-the-archives-2000-pm-howard-braves-public-s-reaction-to-gst-20200623-p555en.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The toll increased again to $3 in January 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/03/18/sydney-harbour-bridge-turns-90.html |title=The Sydney Harbour Bridge turns 90 |publisher=[[University of Sydney]] |date=18 March 2022 |access-date=1 August 2023 |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801123319/https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2022/03/18/sydney-harbour-bridge-turns-90.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2008, a new electronic tolling system called [[e-TAG]] was introduced. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was converted to this new tolling system while the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself had several cash lanes. The electronic system as of 12 January 2009 has now replaced all booths with E-tag lanes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090217110129/http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/motorwaysandtolling/200807shb_lanechanges.html?hhid=shbcashless Sydney Harbour Bridge cashless tolling] Roads & Traffic Authority</ref> In January 2017 work commenced to remove the southern toll booths.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170106010821/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-inner/sydney-harbour-bridge/tolling-projects/southern-toll-plaza.html Southern toll plaza precinct upgrade] Roads & Maritime Services 6 January 2017</ref> In August 2020, the remaining toll booths at Milsons Point were removed.<ref>[https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/sydney-harbour-bridge-toll-booths-to-be-removed Sydney Harbour Bridge toll booths to be removed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616010400/https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/sydney-harbour-bridge-toll-booths-to-be-removed |date=16 June 2020 }} Transport for NSW 15 June 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-harbour-bridge/northern-toll-plaza.html Northern toll plaza precinct upgrade] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807183451/https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-harbour-bridge/northern-toll-plaza.html |date=7 August 2020 }} Roads & Maritime Services</ref> Tolls rose in October 2023 for the first time in 14 years.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230924072042/https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/sydney-harbour-bridge-and-tunnel-tolls-to-rise Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel tolls to rise] [[Transport for NSW]] 23 September 2023</ref>