The Cape May–Lewes Ferry will add a $7 fuel surcharge to vehicle fares for each crossing starting Monday, Oct. 12. A round trip will cost $14 more.
The ferry calls the charge temporary. It is expected to last through Dec. 31, and the amount may change with fuel costs. Walk-on passengers won't pay it, WFPG reported.
Why fares are going up
"If we just maintained our traffic levels and had the runs that we're having, we'd be approximately $110,000 over our fuel budget for the month," Jim Salmon, public information officer for the Delaware River and Bay Authority, told WFPG.
Heath Gehrke, the ferry's director of operations, told the station that fuel hedging contracts limited the impact of higher diesel prices over the summer. With those contracts expiring, the ferry decided to pass some of the cost on to riders.
As of Sunday, the national average price of diesel was about $6.32 a gallon, according to AAA. A year ago it was $3.679.
The authority's commission approved fuel surcharges in February 2009. A surcharge applies only when the price the authority pays for marine diesel rises faster than its eight-year trend. The ferry last added one in April 2022, and officials said this one will come off if fuel prices fall back.
Check the final price
The surcharge isn't included in the ferry's published fare list. The authority is telling riders to check the total shown during the reservation process before buying tickets. Rates can change and are charged at check-in at the tollbooth.
Surcharge updates are at CMLF.com or 800-643-3779.