Posted on 01/05/2018 6:04:39 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
HARRISBURG, PA (Jan. 4, 2018) —The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) today reminded motorists that beginning 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 7 tolls will reflect a six-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 and capital-improvement obligations. Additionally, the PTC is legislatively mandated to offer $450 million in supplemental funding to PennDOT each year under Act 44 of 2007. Since Act 44 was passed, the PTC has provided payments to PennDOT totaling $5.875 billion. Of that amount, $3.625 billion has provided financial assistance to the commonwealth’s mass-transit agencies and $2.25 billion has helped to fund off-Turnpike highway and bridge construction.
“We recognize that motorists pay a premium to travel on our roadway,” said PTC CEO Mark Compton. “With that premium comes our commitment to maintaining and enhancing our 77-year-old system to provide a smoother, safer roadway for our customers during every season of the year and every hour of the day.”
This fiscal year about 85 percent of the PTC’s $500 million capital budget is dedicated largely to renewing, rebuilding and expanding the roadway which carried a record 200 million vehicles in the last year. The PTC has thus far reconstructed more than 124 miles of its system, with another 20 miles of roadway now being rebuilt and widened and more than 90 miles currently in planning and design phases. Through 2022, the PTC will reinvest more than $2.4 billion for widening, improvement and construction of its roads to relieve congestion and provide greater mobility. The PTC does not receive any tax appropriations to operate and maintain its roadway.
The most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase from $1.23 to $1.30 for E-ZPass customers and from $1.95 to $2.10 for cash customers. The most common toll for a Class-5 vehicle — a prevalent tractor-trailer class — will increase from $10.17 to 10.78 for E-ZPass and from $14.45 to $15.35 for cash.
The toll increase will apply to all portions of the PA Turnpike system with these exceptions:
To access a toll calculator and printable schedule click here.
Wow, I’m absolutely shocked that PA turnpike tolls are increasing. I get to travel that again tonight.
What a thrill.
I remember when it was only $.25
I took it once. It was all potholes (1980s). I can get that on I-80 for free.
Nice way they try to make it look like they are doing us a service. We maintain great roads so pay more so you can maintain that privilege.
“Of that amount, $3.625 billion has provided financial assistance to the commonwealth’s MASS TRANSIT AGENCIES and $2.25 billion has helped to fund off-Turnpike highway and bridge construction.”
So much for the line that ‘toll road users only pay for the road’ crap that the toll road lobby pushes here and elsewhere.
A decade or so ago, Pennsylvania applied to the feds to put tolls on Interstate 80 - a wet dream for them, since most of the traffic on that highway are out-of-state people (particularly the trucks). The federal law allowed conversion to tolls, but only if the toll money would be used to maintain the highway and NOTHING ELSE. Pennsylvania instead wanted to do the stunt they do with their Turnpike and hand most of the toll money to the big-city mayors. The feds said “screw-you, follow the law”. Instead of following the law, Pennsylvania determined that the tolls would have to be so low if only used to maintain the highway, that they dropped the whole idea.
And that’s the dirty little secret - if tolls are ONLY used for their particular highways, they would be MUCH LOWER than they presently are...but since politicians get away with diverting toll money, they’ll continue to do so.
Pennsylvania has nothing on Florida. Our tolls are outrageous and soon will have to take out loans to travel on roads. lol.
For what we pay, it’s amazing. The roads stink and the bathrooms are dirty. Last year, in one, only one of the 6 sinks actually worked.
That’s what you get when you hire a communist governor.
Florida is child’s play compared to PA.
http://www.ncsl.org/documents/transportation/NCSL_Comparison_of_Tolling_Rates_Feb_2013.pdf
Cost per mile average on turnpike
Florida $.05
Pennsylvania $.17
But, Florida does seem to have more toll roads in certain areas.
And there was a time when the PTC told us that, once paid for, the turnpike would be free. Like the “temporary” 10 percent reconstruction tax placed on alcohol sales enacted after the Johnstown Flood of 1936, that tax increased to 15 percent in 1963 and 18 percent in 1968. Furthermore, for those of you who don’t often travel the PA Turnpike, watch your speed. While the PA State Police have been closing barracks in rural areas and plan to close more, there’s no shortage of them on the turnpike and they love to use hidden and unmarked units. More than a few PA residents think the “State Police” should change their name to “Revenue Service” or at least “Highway Patrol”.
The concept of a toll road isn’t bad if the money is used just for the road. When the state starts taking part of the toll for “green” transportation or mass transit or some other slush fund, then it falls apart.
Wow. Thank you. That is interesting. I probably wouldn’t notice all the tolls if I didn’t live northwest of Orlando. Orlando has a large amount of toll roads. The biggest annoyance is the toll every 1/2 mile on some of the roads. Although I have a Surpass, it is still crazy.
“The concept of a toll road isn’t bad if the money is used just for the road. When the state starts taking part of the toll for “green” transportation or mass transit or some other slush fund, then it falls apart.”
But then the tolls don’t interest politicians, as they would be so low (particularly for existing highways) that it would make other toll roads look bad.
So that doesn’t happen - you either have tolls, much of which goes to cronies and has nothing to do with the highway, or no tolls.
Plus, there are a handful of toll roads in Texas that are constructed using gas tax revenues, rather than toll bonds.
And we freaked when they raised it to $.50. Costs me $8.80 to visit the folks that live 40 mins way. Less than 20 miles on the toll road.
I drove the Polk Parkway in Florida in 2006. At that time, tolls were about 15 cents/mile.
They wanted to make I 80 a toll road but got shot down. The numbers of people using the PA turnpike is dropping and that’s why they have to raise tolls. Instead of lowering tolls to get more people to use it they decided to punish those who still has to use it by jacking up the tolls. That’s PA for ya.
This has been in place for years though. You can’t only blame him.
Yeah for multiple years they were denied making I-80 a toll road. Thank God.
What a polite way of saying that the political crooks tax the snot out of citizens to their fund pet projects which, coincidentally, also helps them get reelected and consolidate power.
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