Tolls on 4 bridges in Philadelphia area going up. See how much more you will pay

Delaware drivers navigating through Philadelphia and South Jersey will soon have to pay higher tolls on four bridges in the area, the first increase in 13 years.

Starting Sept. 1, passenger vehicle tolls will be $6, up from $5, after a unanimous vote by the Delaware River Port Authority Board on July 17.

The four bridges are:

• Commodore Barry Bridge, connecting Chester, Pennsylvania, and Bridgeport, New Jersey, on Route 322, between I-95 in Pennsylvania and I-295 in New Jersey.
• Ben Franklin Bridge, connecting Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey on I-676.
• Betsy Ross Bridge, connecting Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey, on Route 90 between I-95 and Route 130 in New Jersey.
• Walt Whitman Bridge, connecting Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey, on I-76 between I-95 in Philadelphia and I-676 in New Jersey.

The DRPA initially was considering a higher toll of $6.50, a 30% increase based on the consumer price index for the Philadelphia area.

But the board's finance committee proposed the reduction on July 10, in “consideration of the burden that an approximately 30 percent increase in tolls might impose upon the commuting public.”

The last change was in July 2011 when the toll for passenger vehicles increased from $4 to $5.

Delaware Memorial Bridge toll unchanged

The hike in tolls by the Delaware River Port Authority Board does not affect the $5 cash toll or $4.75 E-Z Pass toll on the Delaware Memorial Bridge between Delaware and South Jersey. That bridge is operated by a different agency, the Delaware River and Bay Authority.

What will toll money be used for?

“DRPA must undertake vital safety and security upgrades and infrastructure improvements,” said DRPA board chairman James D. Schultz. “Whenever we make decisions regarding tolls, we must do them through the lens of fiscal responsibility, and most importantly, safety.”

He noted the importance of safety precautions after the Baltimore bridge collapse in March.

More on Baltimore tragedy:Dali, the cargo ship that triggered Baltimore bridge collapse, set for journey to Virginia

DRPA has earmarked $794.2 million over five years for projects that include reinforcing the bridge-ship collision protection systems at the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges, and painting and rehabilitating the bridge deck on the Commodore Barry Bridge.

Money from the toll increase will also be used to bolster the Port Authority's Police Department, which has 120 officers when it should have 150, Schultz said.

Reporter Kaitlyn McCormick from the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times contributed to this story.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate, development and business news for Delaware Online/The News Journal. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.