LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Tolls on the RiverLink bridges will climb at the highest possible rate next month, despite top Kentucky and Indiana officials saying they were open to ways to limit the increase.
Under its own rules, the policymaking Kentucky-Indiana Tolling Body must raise rates each July on the three Ohio River spans by the greater of 2.5% or the annual rate of inflation.
With inflation soaring, tolls jumped last summer by about 8.3%. It was the first time the increase had been more than 2.5% since tolling began in late 2016. While the inflation rate has cooled, the Consumer Price Index jumped 4.9% during the year ending in April that the states use to determine toll rates.
That means drivers without a RiverLink account will see one-way crossings cost $5.04 during the year ahead, up from $4.80, according to a news release Friday announcing the new rates. Those with a transponder linked to an account will pay $2.52, an increase from $2.40.
RiverLink toll rates starting July 1, 2023.
The RiverLink rules led the states to clash during the rate change in 2022, with Kentucky asking Indiana to agree to a lower increase. Indiana rejected that request because it wanted “consistency in approach” to its two toll roads: the RiverLink bridges and the Indiana Toll Road in northern Indiana.
Former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore also urged Indiana for flexibility.
Fast forward to 2023. In February, Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray told the tolling body that Kentucky wanted to keep rates as low as possible. He said the state can meet its financial obligations related to the bridges with “modest increases” in tolls.
“That said, we also respect our Indiana partners,” Gray said. “So we ask that Indiana continue as it can to monitor its financial conditions and to join us at the table to discuss options when and if they are appropriate and they’re ready to do.”
Mike Smith, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, told the tolling body Indiana officials would “have those discussions when we get the numbers.”
Smith told a reporter after that meeting that the state was focused on “ensuring that we're injecting equity and treating everyone fairly, and not kind of proactively favoring one group of users versus another.”
Smith said Indiana had an “openness to operating in good faith and communicating with Kentucky around this year's set of ideas, and really what the total rate increase is going to be because we don't really know that yet.”
A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions Friday about what discussions, if any, state officials had with Indiana representatives prior to Friday's announcement.
INDOT spokeswoman Natalie Garrett said in an email: "The rate structure reflects consideration for customers and also ensures that the states continue to meet financial obligations for construction and maintenance of the Ohio River bridges."
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