PA Turnpike Commission Reminds Travelers of 2017 Toll Increase
HARRISBURG, PA… The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) reminds travelers that as of Jan. 8th, tolls took a 6-percent increase for both cash and E-ZPass customers.
The toll increase — approved by commissioners last July — is needed to meet the PTC’s funding obligations. These include rebuilding and widening the PA Turnpike, a 550-mile system that is, in part, more than 75 years old, as well as providing funding to support the commonwealth’s public transportation needs.
“We have a responsibility to continue to invest capital dollars to improve our aging system and make it safer for travelers; we’re also obliged to fund an operating budget that must cover such costs as unpredictable winter maintenance and an annual reimbursement to PA State Police for Troop T operations,” said Turnpike Chairman Sean Logan. “Furthermore, we are required by law to help fund our state’s infrastructure needs and have delivered $5.2 billion in toll-backed funding to PennDOT in nine years. Today, our annual payments of $450 million help PennDOT provide operating support to mass-transit authorities across the state to mitigate fare increases for transit riders.”
The most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase from $1.16 to $1.23 for E-ZPass customers and from $1.80 to $1.95 for cash customers.
The most common toll for tractor-trailers will increase from $9.59 to $10.17 for E-ZPass customers and from $13.60 to $14.45 for cash customers.
Travelers can check and calculate fares by clicking https://www.paturnpike.com/toll/tollmileage.aspx. E-ZPass customers can learn where to purchase an E-ZPass GoPak at https://www.paturnpike.com/toll/gopak.aspx.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission operates and maintains 552 miles of toll roads in the state. It oversees 68 fare-collection facilities, 17 service plazas and 27 maintenance facilities. With more than 2,000 employees, it generated $1 billion in annual toll revenue (fiscal 2016) from 198.3 million vehicles a year. Known as “America’s First Superhighway,” it opened Oct. 1, 1940. To learn more, visit http://www.paturnpike.com/.