OOIDA Call to Action – New Jersey and Pennsylvania Members
Sept. 26, 2003

Heads up, New Jersey and Pennsylvania truckers! You need to contact your governor about proposed toll changes on seven Delaware River bridges.

Gov. James McGreevey of New Jersey and Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania have recommended that the recently increased tolls drop.

Under the governors’ proposal, car drivers would actually see a decrease in the tolls they pay now. Crossing the river can run as high as $1.25 on some bridges; the plan would make all bridge tolls for cars 75 cents.

However, trucks would not see a decrease. The next scheduled increase in tolls, to $3.25 an axle, would be blunted, with tolls only increasing from the current $2.25 per axle to $2.75 an axle.

The toll on a five-axle truck had run $4 on five of the bridges before the recent increases, roughly 80 cents per axle. After the first round, that increased to $2.25 per axle.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission increased the tolls last November on seven bridges it maintains between the two states. Toll revenues from the bridges are used to provide maintenance on the total 20 bridges over the river operated by the commission.

Truck drivers, local political and business leaders and others objected to the higher tolls almost immediately, believing professional truckers have every right to be treated no differently than car drivers. The tolls became the subject of another controversy when local media sources revealed earlier this year that the increases would pay for things besides bridge work.

The governors’ proposed new toll structure would affect the following bridges: Trenton-Morrisville, New Hope-Lambertville, Interstate 78, Easton-Phillipsburg, Portland-Columbia, Delaware Water Gap Interstate 80, and Milford-Montague.

To contact New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, call (609) 292-6000 or send e-mail by visiting www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html. To contact Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, call (717) 787-2500 or send e-mail by visiting http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html.