Pennsylvania Turnpike - Features - Toll System

Toll System

The Pennsylvania Turnpike uses the ticket system method of tolling between Warrendale and the Delaware River Bridge toll plazas as well as on the Northeast Extension up to Wyoming Valley. Upon entering the turnpike, motorists receive a ticket that lists the fares for every exit. When exiting, the ticket is surrendered and the appropriate fare is paid. If the ticket is lost, motorists are charged the highest possible fare for that exit. An eastbound mainline toll plaza is located at Gateway near the Ohio border and charges a flat rate. There are no tolls on exit ramps between Gateway and Warrendale. E-ZPass is accepted at all toll plazas. The westbound Virginia Drive and eastbound Street Road interchanges only accept E-ZPass. As of 2012, it costs a passenger vehicle $30.80 to travel the length of the mainline turnpike between Warrendale and Delaware River Bridge using cash and $26.15 using E-ZPass. The eastbound Gateway toll plaza costs $4.75 using cash and $3.98 using E-ZPass for passenger vehicles. The average toll rate for the turnpike is 9.3 cents per mile (5.8 cents per kilometer).

When the highway was under construction in 1939, the proposed tolls were $1.50 (about $25.00 in 2012 dollars) for a one way trip for cars while a round trip would cost $2.00 (about $33.00 today). Trucks would pay $10.00 (about $167.00 today) one-way. Special fares would be charged for motorists who did not travel the length of the turnpike. Upon opening in 1940, the tolls were set at $1.50 (about $25.00 today) one-way and $2.25 (about $37.00 today) round trip for cars. The tolls were to be used to pay off bonds to build the road and were to be removed once the bonds were paid off. Tolls continue to be charged today to pay for improvements to the turnpike system. The toll rate was about one cent per mile (0.62 cents per kilometer), 17 cents per mile (11 cents per kilometer) today, when the turnpike opened. The ticket system was used to pay for tolls. The toll rate remained the same for the first 25 years as other toll roads such as the New York State Thruway, Ohio Turnpike, Connecticut Turnpike, and Massachusetts Turnpike had a higher rate. In 1969, the turnpike commission announced a 75% toll hike, the first such increase for cars. This rise in tolls, which took place on September 1, brought the toll rate to 2 cents per mile (1.2 cents per kilometer), 13 cents per mile (8.1 cents per kilometer) today. A toll increase of 22% was announced in 1978 and went into effect on August 1 of that year; this raised the rate to 2.2 cents per mile (1.4 cents per kilometer), 8 cents per mile (5.0 cents per kilometer) today. In 1986, a toll hike of 30% was planned; the new rates started on January 2, 1987. This brought the toll rates to 3.1 cents per mile (1.9 cents per kilometer), 6 cents per mile (3.7 cents per kilometer) today. Another toll increase of 30% took place on June 1, 1991 to fund expansion projects; the new rate was 4 cents per mile (2.5 cents per kilometer), 7 cents per mile (4.3 cents per kilometer) today.

On August 1, 2004, tolls increased by 42% to a rate of 5.9 cents per mile (3.7 cents per kilometer), 7 cents per mile (4.3 cents per kilometer) today, to provide money for construction along the road. The turnpike commission raised tolls by 25% on January 4, 2009 in order to provide funds to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for road and mass transit projects as called for by Act 44. This toll hike brought the rate to travel the turnpike to 7.4 cents a mile (4.6 cents per kilometer), 8 cents per mile (5.0 cents per kilometer) today. At this point, tolls were planned to increase every year. A 3% toll increase went into effect on January 3, 2010; the rate was now 7.7 cents per mile (4.8 cents per kilometer), 8 cents per mile (5.0 cents per kilometer) today. Another toll hike occurred on January 2, 2011, where cash tolls increased 10% and E-ZPass tolls increased 3%. The new toll rate was 8.5 cents a mile (5.3 cents per kilometer), 9 cents per mile (5.6 cents per kilometer) today, As part of this toll hike, the turnpike commission initially planned not to print the toll amount on new tickets. As a result of this plan, Pennsylvania Auditor Jack Wagner questioned if the commission was trying to hide the toll hike. The turnpike commission later decided to include the fares on the new tickets. Cash tolls increased again on January 1, 2012 by 10%; E-ZPass toll rates unchanged from the previous year. A toll hike is planned for January 6, 2013, where cash tolls will rise 10% and E-ZPass tolls will rise 2%.

In 1968, the turnpike commission proposed converting the section of the road between Morgantown and the Delaware River Bridge from the ticket system to a barrier system. However, the project was deferred in 1971 due to a decline in revenue brought on by the completion of I-80.

Motorists originally stopped at booths to receive toll tickets from turnpike staff. In 1987, ticket machines replaced the workers. In 1990, an electronic toll collection system was proposed, where a motorist would create an account and use an electronic device that would be read from an electronic tollbooth. The motorist would be billed later. The multi-state electronic tolling system, which was to be called E-ZPass, was planned to be implemented by 1998. The planned installation date was later pushed back to 2000. On December 2, 2000, E-ZPass debuted along the roadway between Harrisburg West and Delaware River Bridge. By December 15, 2001, E-ZPass could be used on the entire length of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Commercial vehicles were allowed to start using the system on December 14, 2002.

On June 1, 2003, the Warrendale toll plaza became the west end of the ticket system. As a result, the Gateway toll plaza became a flat-rate toll plaza and the toll booths at the New Castle, Beaver Valley, and Cranberry interchanges were closed. Express E-ZPass lanes opened at the Warrendale toll plaza in June 2004, which allowed motorists to travel through the toll plaza at highway speeds. In 2005, the turnpike commission announced plans to convert the Gateway toll plaza to eastbound only in 2006 in order to reduce congestion and allow for the construction of Express E-ZPass lanes. The Express E-ZPass lanes at the Gateway toll plaza opened in July 2007.

On November 24, 2004, the day before Thanksgiving, 2,000 Teamsters Union employees went on strike, after contract negotiations failed. This was the first strike in the history of the roadway. As this is usually one of the busiest traffic days in the United States, to avoid traffic jams, tolls were waived for the rest of the day. Starting on November 25, turnpike management personnel collected flat-rate passenger tolls of $2 and commercial tolls of $15 from cash customers on the ticketed system, while E-ZPass customers were charged the lesser of the actual toll or the same flat rates. The strike ended after seven days when both sides reached an agreement on November 30. Normal toll collection resumed December 1.

The turnpike commission announced plans to consider eliminating manned toll booths in favor of all-electronic tolls. With this, tolls will be paid using either E-ZPass or credit cards. Drivers unable to pay by either of these methods will be billed in the mail using license plate recognition; an additional surcharge will be applied. In addition to E-ZPass, the turnpike commission offered other automated options to pay for tolls such as using a prepaid account that utilizes license plate recognition. McCormick Taylor and Wilbur Smith Associates have been hired to conduct a feasibility study on converting the road to all-electronic tolls. On March 6, 2012, the turnpike commission announced that it was going forward with an all-electronic tolling plan. Such a plan will take at least five years to implement to allow time for equipment to be installed and the reconfiguration of ramps. It will save the turnpike commission $65 million a year on labor costs by eliminating toll collectors. The plans call for a 76% surcharge for motorists who do not have E-ZPass that are billed by mail. This surcharge could raise the toll for someone without E-ZPass to $53.10 to travel the entire turnpike.