Toll increases have been approved on four bridges connecting South Jersey and Philadelphia. The new prices will be put into effect on September 1st, marking the first time in 13 years that the tolls have risen.
Most vehicles will see a price increase of $1, with the price now at $6 instead of the original $5, as passengers pass Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross Bridges. The price increases were also endorsed by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA).
The DRPA initially wanted to increase tolls to $6.50 for passenger vehicles, but, last week, the agency’s finance committee chose to lower the price to $6. This agreed-upon price rise allows the DRPA to increase safety measures and enhance infrastructure, allowing residents to pass by without much of a financial burden.
Passenger vehicles are 7,000 pounds or fewer, including small trucks and motorcycles. Vehicles crossing the NJ state line into Philadelphia are charged; the PATCO toll prices are unaffected.
DRPA Board Chairman James D. Schultz supports this price increase, stating how the DRPA “make[s] decisions regarding tolls . . . through the lens of fiscal responsibility, and most importantly, safety.”
The DRPA has $749.2 million over five years set aside for projects like collision-protection systems to secure the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges. The agency also seeks to paint and restore the bridge deck on the Commodore Barry Bridge, using toll earnings to police the entrance.
