Modest fare increases for Cape May-Lewes Ferry start April 1
The Delaware River and Bay Authority Commission approved a new fare schedule for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry effective Monday, April 1. Based on traffic data from 2023, the new fare structure is expected to net $211,000 in additional revenue.
Commissioners approved the following:
- Increase for in-season vehicle and motorcycle fares by $1 for standard size (including per trip for discount books), $2 for 26- to 45-foot vehicles and $3 for vehicles greater than 46 feet
- Decrease in passenger fares by $1 for children ages 6 to 13 in-season
- Increase in shuttle fares of $2
- Increase in the existing no-show fee from $10 to $26 to further incentivize canceling or modifying bookings versus abandoning them. It helps to predict demand
- Add a $2 handling fee for show-go vehicle travel
- Implement an optional priority boarding fee of $5 to allow guests the option of priority staging for earlier boarding/disembarkation
- Enhances the Loyalty Rewards Program so guests are eligible to earn points redeemable for future travel, including a free passenger (or driver) trip for every 10th trip taken.
Passenger fares will not increase this year and have not increased since 2009. Off-season rates are also unaffected, as are return-trip fares – or fares purchased for the second leg of a round trip when purchased at the time of the first leg. Additionally, the ferry continues to offer discounts for seniors 62 and older, members of the military and first responders, as well as regular free travel for children under 6 years old, and free travel for those aged 6-13 years during the off-season.
In 2023, the CMLF handled 276,436 vehicles and 746,430 passengers, including more than 10,000 who traveled via bicycle. The vehicle count, which not only eclipsed the pre-pandemic 2019 total of 271,751, was the most handled since 2010.
The ferry is open year-round and has carried more than 50 million passengers since its inception on July 1, 1964. For schedules and rates, go to www.CMLF.com or call 800-643-3779.
