By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — Opinions differ over whether traffic conditions in Lambertville will be affected by the toll hike that will go into effect on seven bridges operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
The concern is that when the Route 202 bridge fare increases to $1 from 75 cents, motorists might decide to head to the nearest free bridge to save money.
Critics of the increase say drivers will make a beeline for Lambertville’s streets to get to the Lambertville-New Hope bridge, which is a non-toll span.
The bridge commission announced the toll increase May 2. Three days later, Sen. Shirley Turner, D-15th, opposed the decision, saying it would clog small town streets. She said she will introduce a Senate resolution opposing the toll hike.
”The simple fact is that with gas prices where they are, drivers are going to try to find any way possible to keep a few extra bucks in their pocket,” Sen. Turner said. “In the local communities where the commission has a toll bridge, a free bridge is not far away. There is no reason to think that tax-weary commuters will not stop using the toll bridges and head for the non-toll crossings. And when they do, traffic in our river towns will increase dramatically.”
Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio does not see the issue in the same way. In the past, he said, bridges repairs have had more of an effect on the city’s streets than toll increases.
”It remains to be seen whether or not it will affect us,” he said of the toll hike. “The thing that affects us more than anything from time to time is when they do work on the bridge. That really affects us.”
Even the closing of a bridge in a neighboring municipality can have a similar effect on Lambertville’s traffic.
”When the Washington Crossing bridge was closed, we got a lot,” Mayor Del Vecchio said. “You saw a definite increase. Bridge closings impact us much more than tolls have in the past. They’ve raised them before, and I’m not sure we had that great an impact.”
The commission’s board also voted to increase the fee for EZPass commuters, from 45 cents to 60 cents. For daily commuters, the increase would be approximately $40 a year in additional tolls.
Sen. Turner said traffic is already heavy on the Lambertville-New Hope free bridge, located just south of the Route 202 toll bridge. “When these toll hikes kick in, traffic on these already crowded non-toll bridges is going to become even worse,” she said. “Cars already clog up the last exit in New Jersey to avoid paying the toll on Route 1, leading to a traffic standstill in Trenton. I expect Lambertville will similarly be impacted.”
The commission also increased tolls for trucks, most of which are banned from free bridges.
The commission said it needs the toll hike to raise funds to pay debt, prevent an interruption of the agency’s capital program and offset diminished truck revenue collections that resulted from the recession.
”We have reached a juncture where we can’t put off a toll adjustment any longer,” said Frank G. McCartney, the commission’s executive director. “Further postponement of a toll restructuring would jeopardize the agency’s credit rating, drive up borrowing costs, and undermine our ability to execute capital projects in a cost-effective manner.”
Even if truck traffic were to increase from the current level, Sen. Turner said she would expect the exodus of cars from the toll bridges to erode the commission’s projected revenues.
”In this economic climate, this toll hike is ill-timed,” Sen. Turner said. “I see nothing to suggest the plan will work while seeing plenty to suggest it’s going to diminish the quality of life for residents in our river towns.”
The commission said its last across-the board toll adjustment for cars and trucks was authorized in 2001. The final element of that toll restructuring was put into effect for trucks in 2007.
The new rate schedule will maintain the 10-percent discount for trucks that travel across a commission bridge during off-peak hours, between 9:01 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.
Overall, the commission said, its rates for trucks and other commercial vehicles will remain less than the rates charged by all other Delaware River toll agencies.
