Despite opposition, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is planning to add E-ZPass and hike tolls for cars and trucks at seven bridges to pay for bridge improvements. One Pennsylvania lawmaker says the governor has the authority to head off the toll increases.

Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) has spoken out against the toll increase on the bridges connecting Pennsylvania to New Jersey. He challenged Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker to take action against the proposed increase. The cost to some truckers crossing the bridges will jump 300 percent.

Because Gov. Schweiker appoints commission members from Pennsylvania, Kanjorski says the governor "can and should intervene before these massive toll increases can take effect."

Linda Spalinski, spokeswoman for the DRJTBC, said everything is a go for the toll increase once the E-ZPass system is in place. "The toll increase is tied to the E-ZPass program," said Spalinski. "The system should be up and running by the end of the year."

In December, the commission approved the toll hikes with an effective date of July. The effective date was postponed while construction contracts for E-ZPass booths were rebid.

Once the rate hike goes into effect, per-axle tolls on trucks crossing the Trenton-Morrisville bridge will skyrocket from 50 cents to $2.25 for 2002 and 2003. Per-axle costs on the New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202), I-78, Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22), Portland-Columbia, Delaware Water Gap and I-80, and Milford-Montague bridges will more than triple from $1 to $3.25. Cash tolls for cars will double from 50 cents to $1 on four of the bridges and from $1 to $1.25 on the rest.

The new rates will fund a 10-year, $545 million maintenance plan for the seven toll bridges and 13 free bridges DRJTBC maintains and operates, some of which cannot handle truck traffic.
--Keith Goble, staff writer