January 9, 2009

Contact: Pete Peterson (215) 893-4297 or Kim Maialetti (215) 893-4279

NEW HOPE, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today announced that the first phase of its newly established E-ZPass pricing policy will take effect 11 p.m. Wednesday, January 14.

The pricing changes for the DRJTBC's E-ZPass program were approved by Commissioners on December 22. It was announced at that time that implementation would begin no earlier than January 1.

Beginning 11 p.m. January 14, drivers using any of the DRJTBC's seven toll bridges can expect the following changes to be reflected in their monthly E-ZPass accounts:

• The 20-percent "casual" discount currently provided to all passenger vehicles whenever they use an E-ZPass transponder to pay a toll at a DRJTBC crossing will be eliminated.

• The 5-percent peak-period discount for trucks and commercial vehicles will be eliminated.

• The off-peak discount for trucks and other commercial vehicles will be maintained, although the discount will be revised to 10 percent, down from 15 percent.

The trimmed-down set of discounts - the first to be instituted by the DRJTBC since it began offering E-ZPass in November 2002 - will not affect the Commission's 40 percent commuter discount for passenger vehicles that cross the agency's toll bridges 20 times or more in a 35 day period. That discount reduces the 75-cent base toll to 45 cents per trip.

In addition to the E-ZPass discount changes, Commissioners in December approved the institution of a $1 monthly account maintenance fee for all motorists who have a DRJTBC-administered E-ZPass account. A start-up date for that new fee has yet to be established.

The changes bring the DRJTBC's E-ZPass program in line with the pricing policies of other regional transportation agencies while also addressing declining revenues due to changing travel patterns as a result of the economic downturn.

The new pricing schedule is available for view on the DRJTBC's toll rates Web page -- http://www.drjtbc.org/default.aspx?pageid=102. Information on the agency's E-ZPass program also may be accessed at www.ezpassdrjtbc.com.

The new E-ZPass discount policy affects the following seven toll bridges operated by the DRJTBC: Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1), New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202), I-78, Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22), Portland-Columbia (Routes 611 and 46), Delaware Water Gap (I-80), and Milford-Montague (Routes 209 and 206). In 2007, an average of 228,400 vehicles used those crossings daily.

The DRJTBC is the last agency in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region to eliminate discounts for casual E-Pass users and to charge an administrative fee to its E-ZPass customers. However, it remains one of a very select group of toll agencies that still provides discounts to motorists who use its toll bridges the most.

E-ZPass enables customers to cut down the length of their commutes and save gas as special E-ZPass-only lanes process vehicles more rapidly, enabling commuters to proceed with their trips in a timelier manner. The Commission's E-ZPass transponders work at toll locations from Maine to Virgina and as far west as Illinois. E-ZPass usage also reduces the overall congestion at Commission bridges for all commuters because the electronic system processes up to 1,000 cars per hour compared to 400 cars per hour at manual cash lanes.

Motorists who would like to sign up for E-ZPass may call the Commission's toll-free customer-support line at 1-800-363-0049.

About the Commission

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in 1934. It operates seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges, two of which are pedestrian-only spans. The Commission's jurisdiction extends along the Delaware River from the Philadelphia-Bucks County line north to the New Jersey/New York border. The bridges carried more than 141 million cars and trucks in 2007. For more information about the Commission and its various initiatives to deliver safer and more convenient bridge travel for its customers, please see: www.drjtbc.org.