Toll Hike Approved For 4 Bridges Connecting South Jersey, Philadelphia

CAMDEN, NJ — Toll hikes on four bridges connecting South Jersey and Philadelphia have been approved and are set to go into effect this September.

For most vehicles, tolls will increase from $5 to $6 to cross the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges. The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the price hikes on Tuesday.

The toll are scheduled to rise Sept. 1 for the first time in 13 years.

The DRPA, which oversees the bridges, planned to hike tolls to $6.50 for passenger vehicles — in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation. But the agency's finance committee opted last week to bump the price to $6 instead.

Passenger vehicles also include motorcycles and small trucks (7,000 pounds or fewer). Only westbound vehicles traveling from New Jersey to Pennsylvania pay to cross the bridges.

PATCO fares, which the DRPA also manages, remain unchanged.

In 2008, the DRPA Board approved a new toll schedule, linking biennial price hikes to the CPI. But the scheduled toll increases have been deferred nine times since, most recently to Aug. 1.

At first, the DRPA planned to increase tolls by 30 percent, based on an evaluation of CPI changes through Sept. 30, 2023. That would've brought the toll to $6.50 for passenger vehicles. But the board, which meets in Camden, approved a 20 percent hike. See the current toll prices.

The reduced price hike will allow the DRPA to enhance safety and security, including upgrades to aging infrastructure, while offsetting the financial burdens on commuters, according to board leadership.

"DRPA must undertake vital safety and security upgrades and infrastructure improvements," Board Chairman James D. Schultz said in a statement. "Whenever we make decisions regarding tolls, we must do them through the lens of fiscal responsibility, and most importantly, safety."

Currently, the DRPA has earmarked $794.2 million over five years for capital projects, including collision-protection systems to better protect the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges from ships. The issue took greater prevalence after a container ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, collapsing the structure and killing six people.

The authority has also committed to painting and rehabilitating the bridge deck on the Commodore Barry Bridge, while using additional toll revenue to recruit and retain police.

Three of the bridges enter Philadelphia — the Ben Franklin from Camden, the Walt Whitman via Gloucester City and the Betsy Ross from Pennsauken. The Commodore Barry Bridge connects Bridgeport and Chester, Pennsylvania.

The DPRA Board of Commissioners includes 16 members, mostly appointed by the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.