Tolls on 4 major Philadelphia area commuter bridges to remain at $4 until July 2011

Toll hikes for Philadelphia-area bridges delayed

CAMDEN, N.J. — The agency that operates four major commuter bridges between southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area says it’s postponing its next scheduled toll increase.

The Delaware River Port Authority voted Wednesday to delay an increase scheduled for September 2010 until July 2011. Tolls will remain at $4 until then.

The bistate agency said it will reallocate $8 million in economic development funds to help cover the lost revenue and allow it to pay down debt.

The DRPA operates the Betsy Ross, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman and Commodore Barry bridges, which span the Delaware River. It also operates a regional rail line.

The agency last raised bridge tolls in September 2008, when they went from $3 to $4.