The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) plans to introduce legislation to extend the timeline before a missed toll becomes a violation.
Members of the Joint Finance Committee brought up concerns around Delaware’s E-Z Pass system last week, noting repeated complaints from constituents around exorbitant toll fees with minimal notice time.
Under current Delaware law, a toll becomes a violation after it remains unpaid for 30 days.
DelDOT Secretary Shanté Hastings says the department intends to introduce a bill this year that would double the length of time before a missed toll becomes a violation, allowing drivers more time to pay.
“It becomes a violation, instead of 31 days, at 61 days. And that will give us the ability to then send a bill at 30 days before you get a violation, right? Because most people just want the opportunity to pay," Hastings told the Joint Finance Committee (JFC). "[This] will give us the flexibility to get them a bill because unfortunately, because of the timing of getting all of the data out of the system, you don't have time within that 30 day window to do that."
Toll violations in Delaware generally include a $25 administrative fee, along with a Volunteer Ambulance Company Fund fee of $10 and a Fund to Combat Violent Crimes fee of $15.
But if payment is not received 31 days after the missed toll occurs, two extra civil penalty charges amounting to an additional $37.50 may ensue.
Hastings explains this can cause a $1 missed toll to become an $88.50 charge in just over a month and this new bill would aim to ease that timeline.
She says the bill is already written and plans to introduce it with State Sen. Stephanie Hansen (D-Middletown) in the coming months.
Hastings also provided updates on the Dimond State Line, noting the uncertainty of federal grant funding could delay the current study process.
The Diamond State Line is a proposed Amtrak passenger rail service that would start from either Newark or Wilmington, go through Dover and end in southern Maryland.
Hastings says the department is still in step one of the study and is currently working with Norfolk Southern to see if the railroad company will allow the project to use its rail lines.
Hastings says if those agreements were made, DelDot would move into step two, which is estimating costs and figuring out ridership numbers.
She expects that phase to cost around $4.5 million, but with proposed federal funding cuts from the Trump administration, the future of the project is uncertain.
“It was grant funding, so we're not— everything is a little bit in flux when it comes to grant funding with the feds at this point. So hard to say whether we're going to get the appropriate sign-offs from the Federal Rail Administration to move to that step two.”
Whether the funding comes through or not, Hastings expects step two of the project to take a couple of years and that’s when the decision would be made on whether or not to pursue the passenger rail line project.
DelDOT only receives $5 million in General Funds from the state — the majority of its revenue comes from its Transportation Trust Fund, which is comprised of federal funding, toll fees, DMV revenues the motor fuel tax and other miscellaneous sources.
This year, the department is requesting a 1.7% increase, largely to cover the Transportation Trust Fund debt service payment schedule, union contract settlements and increased DMV costs.
This increase would bring DelDOT's operating budget to almost $465 million.
The department is also requesting an additional $1 million for its Storm Fund for the current fiscal year due to several winter storm cleanup efforts made this season.
