DRPA: No bridge toll increases for 2015

There will be no toll increase on the four Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) bridges.

The DRPA deferred an increase in the $5 round trip for at least another 2 years in adopting its annual operating and capital budgets for its bridges and PATCO Hi-Speedline.

DRPA officials said revenues for infrastructure projects are sufficient enough to avoid further borrowing and a toll increase of 25 cents for non-commercial vehicles.

The authority could have raised tolls based on an increase in the Consumer Price Index.

DRPA CEO John Hanson called foregoing a toll hike “significant” at the DRPA meeting Wednesday in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

Vice chairman Jeffrey Nash said the next goal is to find a way to enact a commuter discount for bridge users.

“The bottom line is the authority is in a very strong financial position,” Nash said, citing a reduction in debt service, a higher bond ratings and administrative efficiencies that lowered some costs.

The DRPA approved a capital budget of $190.2 million and an operating budget of $89 million.

Operation expenses are expected to increase nearly $3 million, or more than 3 percent.

Chief financial officer James White attributed much of that to higher health care and pension costs for its approximately 850 employees.

The operating budget also includes $900,000 for estimated legal expenses related to an ongoing U.S. grand jury investigation of prior spending on economic development projects in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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