Travelers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will pay more beginning Sunday. Tolls for cash customers will jump by 10%. E-ZPass customer rates will only increase by 2%.
If you think toll revenues go solely to maintain the turnpike, you're wrong. Five years ago, the General Assembly decided to make the commission give $250 million a year to the state public transit agencies and $200 million to PennDOT for off-turnpike road and bridge projects.
The turnpike must also pay for its own highway reconstruction and widening projects.
To-date more than 100 miles of the 72-year-old system have been rebuilt at a cost of about $20 million per mile.
The new rate increase is expected to bring in $25 million dollars in new money this year.
The Turnpike Commission has set EZ-Pass rates lower than cash rates since 2011.
Starting this weekend, a Turnpike trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh will cost a motorist $19 in tolls. But if you have E-ZPass, the toll is only $14.87 one way.
Because it costs less to process an electronic transaction compared to cash, the commission wants to increase E-ZPass enrollment.
Getting an EZ-Pass is simple. You start out answering a few questions and provide drivers license and vehicle registration information.
You pay a $3 fee for the transponder and then using a credit, debit card or bank account you start with a $35 balance.
About 68 % of turnpike travelers use EZ-Pass. The commission hopes to grow that number and planners say in the coming years a completely cashless toll collection system will be in operation.
If you think toll revenues go solely to maintain the turnpike, you're wrong. Five years ago, the General Assembly decided to make the commission give $250 million a year to the state public transit agencies and $200 million to PennDOT for off-turnpike road and bridge projects.
The turnpike must also pay for its own highway reconstruction and widening projects.
To-date more than 100 miles of the 72-year-old system have been rebuilt at a cost of about $20 million per mile.
The new rate increase is expected to bring in $25 million dollars in new money this year.
The Turnpike Commission has set EZ-Pass rates lower than cash rates since 2011.
Starting this weekend, a Turnpike trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh will cost a motorist $19 in tolls. But if you have E-ZPass, the toll is only $14.87 one way.
Because it costs less to process an electronic transaction compared to cash, the commission wants to increase E-ZPass enrollment.
Getting an EZ-Pass is simple. You start out answering a few questions and provide drivers license and vehicle registration information.
You pay a $3 fee for the transponder and then using a credit, debit card or bank account you start with a $35 balance.
About 68 % of turnpike travelers use EZ-Pass. The commission hopes to grow that number and planners say in the coming years a completely cashless toll collection system will be in operation.