DOVER, DE- Tolls on three major Delaware highways — I-95, Route 1, and Route 301 — will increase on August 15. The hike will affect both in-state and out-of-state drivers, with out-of-state E-ZPass users and cash payers facing the steepest increases.
The increases were approved earlier this year through House Bill 164, which passed the Delaware House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer.
For Aimee Lewis of Colorado, who visits Delaware every summer, a trip to the beaches is a yearly tradition. But starting tomorrow, she says the added cost could affect her travel plans.
"To know that you're going to have to pay a few extra dollars just to get to your destination — it's tough for sure."
C.R. McLeod of the Delaware Department of Transportation says toll rates on Route 1 haven’t increased since 2007, and on I-95 since 2014. While raising tolls is never easy, McLeod says it has long been overdue.
"It's the first change to toll rates in ten years, and we've also never increased the daily toll rate on Route 1. It's been a dollar since the road opened."
On Route 1, Delaware E-ZPass users will now pay $1.50 on weekdays and $4 on weekends. Out-of-state E-ZPass holders and cash users will pay nearly double that, with $2.50 on weekdays and $6 on weekends.
Daniel Borick, from Virginia, who frequently drives through Delaware to visit family in surrounding states, says the increase has been surprising, especially since rates have remained unchanged.
"Delaware has always had pretty good toll rates. It seems pretty high to me at that point."
McLeod says the hike is expected to generate about $40 million in additional revenue for road projects, which is needed as construction costs have risen as much as 50 percent.
"The revenue that we were collecting is just not enough to keep pace with the demands for infrastructure improvements that are needed."
While drivers like Borick understand the need for the increase, he says the added expense is still challenging, especially as costs continue to rise.
"It's kind of inevitable that prices will be going up, but it's still not the easiest thing to do."
DelDOT says the toll hike is necessary due to rising construction costs and a decline in motor fuel tax revenue, caused by the increased number of electric and fuel-efficient vehicles on the road.
Also starting August 15, drivers who use an E-ZPass lane without a pass or payment — who previously would have received a $25-plus violation in the mail — will now be billed only for the toll and given 30 days to pay. DelDOT says the change is intended to make the system fairer for drivers.