January 8, 2010 

Contact: Joe Donnelly (215) 862-7693 or Pete Peterson (215) 893-4297

EASTON, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission will enable motorists to acquire E-ZPass electronic toll-collection accounts from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday next week at the I-78 Welcome Center in Williams Township, Pa.

The E-ZPass sign-up sessions are timed to coincide with the first full week of construction for a five-month, $5.6 million project to create two Express E-ZPass/Open Road Tolling lanes at the Commission's I-78 Toll Plaza, which is adjacent to the welcome center.

"Because the construction project will reduce the number of revenue-collection lanes at the toll plaza, it's more imperative than ever that motorists get E-ZPass to avoid drivers queuing up to pay by cash at the toll plaza," said Frank G. McCartney, the Commission's Executive Director. "We also will be removing gates at all of our toll facilities and the availability of Express E-ZPass payments in coming months should give cash-paying customers further motivation to finally get E-ZPass tags in their vehicles."

Motorists who take advantage of next week's E-ZPass sign-up availabilities will be able to drive away with an active E-ZPass tag and a $24 account balance in as little as 10 minutes. At these "E-ZPass QuickStart" events, Commission representatives are on location to help customers complete a simple application form. Customers are required to pay $25 by major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) - which is credited to their respective E-ZPass accounts - and provide vehicle registration and license numbers.

The I-78 Welcome Center is accessible via a ramp from I-78 westbound immediately after the Commission's toll plaza for the I-78 Toll Bridge.

E-ZPass users reduce their commuting times and save gas as special E-ZPass only lanes process vehicles more rapidly, enabling travelers to proceed with their trips in a timelier manner.

Increased E-ZPass usage also reduces overall congestion at Commission bridges because the electronic system processes up to 1,000 cars per hour compared to 400 cars per hour at manual cash lanes.

Commission E-ZPass account holders who frequently use the agency's toll bridges - individuals who make 20 trips within a 35-day cycle - are eligible for automatic 40-percent rebated discounts on their tolls, paying a 45-cent toll compared to the normal 75-cent base toll.

The benefits of E-ZPass usage will be further enhanced later this year as the Commission completes its Express E-ZPass/ORT project at the I-78 toll plaza.

Once completed, the Express E-ZPass/ORT project will allow motorists equipped with E-ZPass to pay their tolls electronically while driving at highway speeds. If the project work goes as currently scheduled, the new toll collection system should be operational by the Memorial Day weekend.

The installation project will reduce the number of available toll-collection lanes at the plaza from January to the later part of May - and this may cause traffic delays, especially during peak travel periods.

The Commission is taking a series of steps to alert motorists about the project and mitigate potential traffic impacts on I-78 westbound:

• Placement of variable message signs on the approaches to the bridge and toll plaza, warning motorists of potential delays and to consider alternative routes such as the Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22) Toll Bridge.
• Initiation of the project during the low-traffic-volume months of winter with completion before the peak summer driving period.
• Removal of toll gates at the facility prior to the start of construction activities to facilitate increased throughput at the toll plaza's remaining lanes in operation. (A new camera-based toll violator tracking system has been installed at the location to identify and track toll scofflaws.)
• Ramped-up use of the NJ511 Travel Alert system to warn westbound motorists on I-78 in New Jersey about the construction work taking place at the I-78 toll plaza after the Delaware River bridge.

The goal of the Express E-ZPass/ORT project is to improve traffic capacity, operations and safety at the toll plaza. Once Express E-ZPass technology is installed, motorists driving vehicles (cars and trucks) equipped with E-ZPass will be able to pay their tolls while driving at highway speeds. E-ZPass customers would have the option of driving through an array of high-speed transponder readers, avoiding the necessity of slowing down or stopping.

Express E-ZPass lanes can reduce traffic congestion by processing up to 1800 cars per hour per lane as compared to 360 cars per hour per lane by manual toll collection.

To reap the benefits of the system upgrades, the Commission also is urging motorists to get E-ZPass accounts by going to www.ezpassdrjtbc.com or calling1-800-872-5061.

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 140 million cars and trucks in 2008. 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.