Pa. Turnpike Travelers Reminded of Jan. 2, 2011 Toll Increase

HARRISBURG, PA (12/29/2010)(readMedia)-- The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) reminds travelers that tolls will go up on the state's toll roads at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011; officials encourage motorists to take advantage of E-ZPass incentives that, for the first time, will represent a sizeable difference compared to cash rates.

E-ZPass customers, who constitute about two-thirds of Pennsylvania Turnpike users, will pay three percent more in 2011 compared to a 10-percent increase for cash-paying motorists. Combined, the new rates will result in an overall toll increase of five percent.

Under the new rates, the most-common Turnpike toll will jump from $1 to $1.10 for cash-paying motorists and from 97 cents to $1 for those with E-ZPass. Customers who enter the Turnpike prior to 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 2 will be charged the current rates, even if they exit after the new rates have taken effect.

Signing up for E-ZPass is simple. Most people join online at www.paturnpike.com or call 1-877-PENN-PASS (1.877.736.6727). E-ZPass tags can also be purchased at select Pennsylvania grocery retailers, including: Acme Markets, Karns Foods, Giant Eagle and Get-Go. Many of the state's AAA offices offer tag sales, and E-ZPass vending machines called "Tag Tellers" are available at select Turnpike service plazas.

Customers can set up an account in minutes; the cost to establish an automatically replenished account with a credit or debit card is just $35 from which your tolls will be deducted, plus a $6 annual membership fee. (If you sign up before Jan. 2, the initial annual fee is only $3.) The PTC-issued E-ZPass tag is effective at all other toll facilities that show the purple-and-white E-ZPass logo. In all, there are currently 24 E-ZPass agencies in 14 states, mostly in northeastern United States.

Annual Turnpike toll increases are the result of Act 44 of 2007 and a funding agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to finance non-Turnpike road and bridge improvements and transit services across the Commonwealth. Since Act 44 became law in July 2007, the PTC has provided $2.725 billion in supplemental funding to PennDOT and is obligated to continue to pay PennDOT $450 million annually until the 50-year agreement ends in 2057.

In addition to the supplemental funding to PennDOT, new revenues from the 2011 toll increase (only the eighth increase in 70 years) will also help fund the Turnpike's Capital Improvement Plan, which includes the vital reconstruction and six-lane widening projects now under way and planned throughout the 545-mile Turnpike system.

Also beginning Jan. 2, 2011, cash-paying travelers will notice that, for a short time, no fare schedule will be printed on toll tickets dispensed upon entry. The new tickets with printed schedules are now in production. Until the new tickets are delivered in February or March, cash-paying motorists can use these means to determine tolls:

• Toll-Rate Hotline - Turnpike travelers can determine tolls by calling 866.976.TRIP (866.976.8747). Motorists can call the toll-free number, provide entry and exit points, and request the cash or E-ZPass rate. The toll amount will be spoken aloud. Motorists are urged to use the TRIP line safely to avoid distractions while driving.
• Online Toll Calculator - Visit www.paturnpike.com then click "Toll Info" to access a calculator that will determine trip mileage and exact toll based upon point of entry and exit, vehicle class and number of axles.
• Printable Toll Schedules - Visit www.paturnpike.com then click on "Toll Info" followed by "Toll/Mileage Calculator" to find the option for Printable Toll Schedules. Select the appropriate version to download and print the complete toll schedule for all plazas and classes.
• At the Tollbooth - Printed, plaza-specific toll schedule sheets are available at Turnpike cash lanes upon exit. The toll schedules pertain specifically to that particular exit.