COMMISSION ESTABLISHES TOLL-FREE PHONE LINE FOR I-78 EXPRESS E-ZPASS/OPEN ROAD TOLLING PROJECT
Drivers Can Receive Responses to Comments, Concerns on 4-1/2-Month-Long Project

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

EASTON, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced today that it has launched a toll-free phone line that drivers may call to provide comments or ask questions about the I-78 Express E-ZPass/Open Road Tolling Project. Commission consultants will monitor the answer line on a daily basis and then provide responses to motorists' questions and concerns. The toll-free phone number is 1-877-497-8325 and is available 24 hours a day.

"Maintaining an open line of communication with our customers during construction projects is crucial to our ability to troubleshoot problems and address motorist concerns," said Frank G. McCartney, executive director of the Bridge Commission. "We recognize that this project poses some challenges to drivers, but the end result - enabling E-ZPass users to pay tolls while driving at highway speeds - will offset near-term inconvenience."

The Express E-ZPass/ORT project began one week ago today. The technology will provide drivers of vehicles (cars and trucks) equipped with E-ZPass the option of driving through an array of high-speed transponder readers - avoiding the necessity of slowing down or stopping at the traditional toll plaza. The goal of the Express E-ZPass/ORT project is to improve traffic capacity, operations, and safety at the toll plaza. Once in place, the electronic-toll-collection upgrade will reduce delays and traffic backups in the westbound direction at the I-78 Toll Bridge and corresponding toll plaza.

The construction work has reduced the number of available toll-collection lanes at the plaza to four from seven. The four-lane configuration, which consists of one E-ZPass-only lane on the left and three mixed-mode (cash and E-ZPass) lanes to the right, has resulted in moderate traffic backups during the evening peak driving period - roughly from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day this week.

To mitigate potential traffic delays arising from the project, the Commission took a series of steps:

• Placement of variable message signs on approaches to the bridge and toll plaza prior to the start of construction, warning motorists of 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.
• Presented the project, schedule and potential alternate route at a December Open House that also helped raise awareness of the approaching project.
• Coordinated with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to activate their I-78 variable message signs to advise motorists of the potential delays in advance of the DRJTBC's New Jersey jurisdiction along I-78.
  
  

The I-78 Bridge serves as a critical link between Newark, N.J. and Harrisburg, Pa. and is heavily used by long-haul truckers going to and from the Newark/Elizabeth ports region. The I-78 facility has the highest traffic volumes of any of the seven toll bridges in the Commission's 20-bridge system. On average, more than 27,000 vehicles passed through the toll plaza each day in 2008.

The proposed toll plaza enhancements will result in two Express E-ZPass lanes and four mixed-mode toll lanes (cash & E-ZPass) at the plaza. 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.

All lanes will be able to process car and truck transactions.

To reap the benefits of the system upgrades, the Commission is urging motorists to get E-ZPass accounts by going to www.ezpassdrjtbc.com or calling1-800-872-5061. The Commission also is conducting an ad campaign to further motivate frequent cash-paying toll bridge users to get E-ZPass accounts.

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.