Here’s How to Save $18 Per Month on Philly Bridge Tolls

Photo via Wikipedia Commons.

On Tuesday, the Delaware River Port Authority launched a new discount program for its four New Jersey-Philadelphia bridges, and it could save you $18 each month. Naturally, there are some catches.

First, you have to use E-Z Pass, meaning if you’re one of those people who still inexplicably waits in line to pay your toll in cash, you’re out of luck. The discount is also only valid for customers who get their E-Z Pass through New Jersey. Each state offers its own E-Z Pass with its own policies and benefits, although you do not have to be a resident of New Jersey to get your E-Z Pass through the state.

Once you enroll in the discount program — and you can do that here — the DRPA will issue a $18 credit on your account if you go through their toll booths at least 18 times in the course of a month. Note that the DRPA bridges include the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross and Commodore Barry bridges. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge is not part of their system.

So if you’re a daily work commuter and you’re not using the Tacony, it’s a no brainer. And if you’re already a New Jersey E-Z Pass customer, it certainly doesn’t hurt to enroll. But if you don’t use the bridge that frequently — 18 times in one month is a lot — you’ll actually save a few bucks by signing up for Delaware E-Z Pass instead. New Jersey charges a $1 monthly maintenance fee (plus another $1 if you want a monthly statement), whereas the Delaware system has no fees.