DRBA Commission Adjusts Cape May–Lewes Ferry Fare Structure

NEW CASTLE, DE – On Feb. 17, 2016, the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) Commissioners approved a new fare schedule for the Cape May–Lewes Ferry at its monthly meeting held in the James Julian Boardroom at the Authority’s Administrative Complex in New Castle, Del. Effective April 1, 2016, the new ferry rate schedule is designed to encourage round-trip RV use of the service and offer additional discounts to reward frequent customers.
The Commissioners approved the following:
– Creation of the return trip value fare for all vehicle classes. Prior to this change, only the automobile class (vehicles less than 20’ in length) were eligible for the return trip value fare.
– Creation of a twenty-five (25) trip passenger pass at a cost of $150, a 40% discount to the published fare. The passes are valid throughout a calendar year with no blackout dates.
– Adoption of a special $40 promotional fare for the automobile class, including all its occupants. This trial fare, known as “The More the Ferrier,” is valid in March 2016 and must be booked one day in advance.
“With ‘The More the Ferrier’ promotion, we wanted to experiment with a flat vehicle rate for the car and all passengers to see if it makes the Ferry more appealing to those customers who have larger families,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Ferry Operations. “We will evaluate the impact of this promotional fare class on vehicle traffic and make recommendations to the Commissioners at the end of the trial period on whether to continue the program.”
Also for the first time in the history of the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, the return trip value fare will be offered to all vehicle classes, not just the standard automobile portion. “With so many campgrounds in the area, we want to aggressively target the RV market,” added Rhona Bronson, Director of Marketing. “The return trip value fare for these larger vehicle classes is another tool in the toolbox that we can use to encourage this segment to use the Ferry more often.”
In addition to the expansion of the return value fares, the Ferry is also offering a 25 trip passenger pass at $150. The adult passenger fare, one-way, is $10. “We know that we have some frequent travelers whom we consider our ‘Ambassadors,’” Gehrke added. “With this fare, we would like to reward these passengers by offering a value price point beyond our 6 and 12-pack passenger fare options.”
The new fare schedule will also include a nominal increase of $2 in-season and $1 off-season applied across all vehicle classes. Passenger and shuttle fares remain unchanged.