As of late Sunday night, cash tolls have ceased at four Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission spans.
The impacts spans include the Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1), I-78, Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22), and Delaware Water Gap (I-80) bridges.
The move follows a similar changes at the New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Toll Bridge and other spans in June 2024.
With cash tolls no longer an option, motorists are directed to use either E-ZPass or the Toll-By-Plate system, where cameras capture license plate images to bill drivers. Toll-By-Plate costs can reach double those of E-ZPass, with current car toll rates at $3, whereas E-ZPass users pay $1.50.
With the change that began at 11 p.m. on Sunday, there are now unattended toll booths and limited toll lanes at the impacted bridges. All operational lanes will process both E-ZPass and Toll-By-Plate transactions.
Drivers have been advised that no separate lanes will exist for the two payment methods, and signage will direct them to keep moving through previous cash lanes.
The change marks the end of nearly 87 years of cash collections by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, which began tolling in 1938 with the Bushkill Street Bridge, later renamed the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge.
Commission officials said the cashless tolling aligns with global trends toward safer, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective all-electronic tolling systems.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission had already begun shifting to electronic tolls in November 2002 with the introduction of E-ZPass.
The transition continued with the addition of Toll-By-Plate in January 2024 and will eventually culminate in the removal of old toll plazas and the construction of highway-speed tolling gantries, expected to be completed by 2032, officials said.
E-ZPass is already the predominant payment method at the commission’s bridges, with penetration rates around 84 percent at the Trenton-Morrisville and I-78 bridges, 86 percent at the Easton-Phillipsburg bridge, and 82 percent at the Delaware Water Gap bridge.
The commission urges drivers to switch to E-ZPass to avoid higher rates and potential penalties associated with Toll-By-Plate. E-ZPass not only offers up to 50-percent lower toll rates but is also the most widely used electronic toll method globally, accepted across 20 states by 35 toll agencies.
For E-ZPass registration, motorists can visit www.ezpassnj.com or contact the customer service at 800-363-0049.
Advertisement
Convenient Legal Access to High Quality Cannabis Just A Few Minutes Away!
