Good news for South Jersey drivers, as the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) board of commissioners this week unanimously approved a resolution postponing a scheduled toll increase on the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges until at least 2024.
The resolution marks the 12th straight year commissioners voted to freeze tolls despite the current schedule calling for automatic, biennial increases based on upon increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the region.
Fares to cross those bridges between South Jersey and Pennsylvania will remain at $5 for passenger vehicles.
The Ben Franklin Bridge connects Center City Philadelphia to Camden. – DELAWARE RIVER PORT AUTHORITY
“The board and DRPA leadership team have an obligation to the public to do everything it can to control costs and expenses before it takes steps to raise bridge tolls,” said DRPA Chairwoman Cherelle Parker. “Hard work across all facets of the organization to ensure it runs efficiently and effectively enables this toll freeze. We hope this move brings needed relief to working families who may be experiencing financial challenges.”
Next year, the DRPA says it expects to collect nearly $344 million in revenue generated primarily from bridge tolls, while noting the series of cost-control measures instituted throughout the pandemic and presently, such as a hiring freeze, a focus on high-priority projects and expense reductions.
The board also approved a 2023 operating budget of $307.5 million, a 0.25% increase from 2022.
In 2023, the DRPA will continue its five-year, $738.9 million Capital Program, with projects including the $216.9 million Ben Franklin Bridge suspension span rehabilitation; the $77 million Betsy Ross Bridge painting and steel repairs; and the $29.3 million PATCO Franklin Square Station reopening.
“We have strategically utilized pandemic relief dollars and programs, and over the last few years, we have been able to pay down our debt, refund debt and cut debt service costs,” said DRPA Vice Chairman Jeffrey Nash. “A quarter of a percent increase in our operating budget is remarkable considering the present economic conditions. The fact that we can properly fund our budgets, invest and improve our infrastructure, and do so without a toll hike speaks volumes of the Port Authority.”
