Shore Toll Bridges to go Cashless Starting May 10

Beginning May 10, the five toll bridges in Cape May County will transition to solely use E-ZPass electronic payments, no longer accepting cash and coins.  

The Cape May County Bridge Commission, the agency that operates the five toll bridges connecting beach towns across Ocean Drive, discussed the change in toll payments during a board meeting Thursday.  

Kevin Lare, executive director of the bridge commission, said the transition to electronic tolling was originally planned for April 1.

But the move was delayed after the commission was informed last Friday by Conduent State & Local Solutions, the company that operates E-ZPass in New Jersey, that ongoing projects would push the change to May 10.  

“We had a contract that stated April 1 that has since been pushed back,” Lare said. “Conduent has assured us that May 10 is absolute.”  

The commission operates the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, the Townsends Inlet Bridge, the Corson’s Inlet Bridge, the Middle Thorofare Bridge and the Grassy Sound Bridge.  

Lare said the decision to convert entirely to electronic payments will save money, and E-ZPass is already overwhelmingly used by motorists. In 2024, between 89 percent and 90 percent of all tolls collected between the five bridges were paid via E-ZPass, he noted.  

“It’s just the direction the tolling industry is going. It’s more efficient,” he said.  

    Townsends Inlet Bridge connects Sea Isle City and Avalon.
  

Lare said upon the switch, toll booth workers will no longer be employed. He said employees were adequately warned about their positions’ termination, and all hires after 2017 were warned it was a possibility as they accepted the job. Lare said the commission will save a significant amount of money this way.  

“They’re great staff, but it’s a job that’s becoming obsolete,” Lare said. “It will save between $400,000 and $500,000, and for a small operation, as the commission is, that’s a substantial amount of money.”  

Lare said between 12 and 15 toll workers will be hired as part-time bridge tenders to operate drawbridges for boat traffic.  

Once tolls are converted to only accept electronic payment, motorists without E-ZPass will have a photo of their license plate taken and will be billed by mail, Lare said.  

Lare said there will be a service fee of around $5 for those who pay their tolls without E-ZPass. However, the fee will only be charged once a month, regardless of how many times the toll is passed without E-ZPass payment.

Lare said if motorists don’t pay their bill within a year, an additional fee will be charged.  

Bridge tolls and associated fees are used to fund bridge maintenance, replenishment and building projects, Lare said.  

    Corson's Inlet Bridge in Strathmere
  

Until 2018, when E-ZPass was first implemented on the bridges, the commission sold discounted tickets for commuters to save money on the Ocean Drive tolls. Tickets were sold for $1.20 at the time with no expiration date. The current toll rate is $2.50.  

Once the switch to E-ZPass is live, discounted tickets will no longer be accepted at tolls. However, the commission is buying back tickets, and they can be sent back and refunded up to 60 days after the switch to only E-ZPass is implemented.   

Lare said the commission has processed and bought back more than 4,000 tickets so far.  

For the past few months, the commission has been campaigning to alert the public of the change to only E-ZPass, using roadside electronic signage along bridges. Lare said the commission will increase its publicity efforts as the transition gets closer to May 10.