Pennsylvania Turnpike Announces 6% Toll Increase For 2016

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission today announced that a 6% toll hike for E-ZPass and cash customers will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 3, 2016.

When the new hike takes effect, Class-5 vehicles, tractor-trailers, E-ZPass holders will pay $9.59 , while cash customers will pay $13.60.

“The most common toll for a Class-5 vehicle — a prevalent tractor-trailer class — will increase from $9.05 to $9.59 for E-ZPass customers and from $12.80 to $13.60 for cash customers,” the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reports.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says the rate hike is the direct result of Act 44, which requires the Commission to make payments to PennDOT for road projects and mass-transit.

“The legislature passed Act 44 in 2007, requiring us to make payments to PennDOT for roadway projects and mass-transit operations statewide; since then, we’ve transferred $4.75 billion to the Commonwealth for off-Turnpike investment,” PTC Chairman Sean Logan said. “As a result of Act 89 of 2013, our payments will be lowered from $450 million a year to $50 million a year beginning in 2023. We welcome this relief, but we will still be required to make additional payments totaling almost $5 billion through 2057.”

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission stated in a press release that while Act 89 “does provide some relief, it does not eliminate the associated debt or funding requirement,” the Commission will likely increase annual tolls “for the foreseeable future.”

This doesn’t appear to be the end of the Turnpike Commission’s toll increases.

Source: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission