Push for Toll Bridge Audit

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly has advanced to the Senate a bill requiring an annual financial and management audit of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission by auditors in both the Keystone State and New Jersey.

New Jersey already passed a similar bill and Pennsylvania must enact it, too.

Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Upper Nazareth Township, sponsored the Pennsylvania legislation.

Lawmakers in both states called for the auditing procedure after the commission raised tolls last year.

The commission’s territory stretches roughly 140 miles from the Philadelphia-Bucks County, Pa., boundary north to the New Jersey-New York state line.

In New Jersey, Sen. Michael Doherty, R-Washington Township, praised Pennsylvania lawmakers.

“The simple fact is that tollpayers get stuck with the bill when insiders at bi-state agencies get outrageous perks like reimbursement for commuting expenses and free tolls,” he said.

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Transportation industry Pennsylvania New Jersey
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