Tolls on Route 80 and most other bridges connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania could go up following a proposed “toll adjustment” to offset increasing construction financing costs for the agency that oversees Delaware River crossings.
The proposal for would raise most passenger vehicle tolls by 50 cents next year to $2 per trip, according to the announcement Monday by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The toll-by-plate cost for motorists who don’t have EZ-Pass would go from $2 to $5.
For vehicles 8-feet or taller, the EZ-Pass rate would increase by $2 to $6.50-per-axle, while toll-by-plate charges would go up $3 to $8 per axle.
The Milford-Montague (Route 206) Toll Bridge spans the Delaware River, accessed on the Pennsylvania side from Route 209 just south of Milford Borough, Pike County. The bridge is pictured in the background, looking south from Milford Beach, part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Sussex County, New Jersey is on the left.
Which bridges are affected?
The Commission operates eight toll bridges including, from north to south, the Milford-Montague (Route 206), Delaware Water Gap (I-80), Portland-Columbia (Routes 611, 46, 94), Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22), I-78, New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202), Scudder Falls (I-295) and Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1) spans. Tolls are collected on the Pennsylvania-bound sides.
The rate increases do not apply to Dingmans Bridge between Delaware Township, Pa., and Sandyston, which is privately owned and has its own toll system.
The Commission operates eight toll bridges and 12 non-revenue-generating “toll-supported” bridges along the upper portion of the Delaware. It is also responsible for 73 lane miles of road surface, 34 overpasses and viaducts and various other maintenance and operational facilities, the statement said.
Unique among other regional toll agencies, the Commission gets no other public funding or subsidies. It is required by state and federal laws to use a share of tolls to operate and maintain 10 older low-capacity non-highway bridges and two other pedestrian-only crossings along the river.
Why hike tolls?
Commission Executive Director Joseph J. Resta said the toll hikes are being considered in the wake of financial projections for 2026 that show the organization risks falling short in its general fund reserve balance and its debt service coverage ratio, two ledger lines which bond-rating firms use to assess the stability and credit worthiness of public agencies.
The commission’s favorable borrowing rates have enabled it to pursue and complete capital projects in the past, the Commission said. However, rising costs in the construction industry could lead to lower credit ratings, and thus higher borrowing costs.
“In the past five years, hot-mix asphalt has risen 28%, concrete has risen 46%, structural steel has risen 66% and fuel has risen 44%,” said Resta. “We still have supply chain issues delaying projects and increasing project costs despite the end of the pandemic.”
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Substructures of some commission-owned bridges date to the early 19th century and some of the agency’s superstructures date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the director added. “Aging bridge infrastructure requires diligent oversight and constant care, year in and year out, and does not wait for a favorable economic climate to require funding for rehabilitation,” Resta said.
Motorists can comment
Unlike other toll agencies, the DRJTBC cannot simply increase tolls and any suggested increase resolutions must be advertised and go through a public-hearing process in the fall before a final vote.
The Commission’s toll-setting policy requires a public comment period, with three virtual hearings. Commission policy also requires comments to be accepted online whether through the Commission’s website, mailed or left on a recorded phone line.
Eligible comments are then compiled into a report with responses from DRJTBC staff and presented to DRJTBC commissioners prior to taking action at a subsequent commission meeting.
Officials said the higher rates for those who don’t use EZ-Pass account for the added costs of identifying vehicle owners and mailing bills. Cash tolls were eliminated from the system in January.
This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Tolls could rise on Delaware River bridges connecting NJ and PA