Pennsylvania Turnpike motorists to be hit with 5% toll hike next year

Pennsylvania Turnpike travelers will see a 5% toll hike in January, continuing a 15-year trend of annual rate increases by the Turnpike Commission.

The new toll rates are scheduled to take effect Jan. 7, equaling the most recent percentage increase, imposed earlier this year.

Next year, the most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase from $1.80 to $1.90 for E-ZPass customers and from $4.40 to $4.70 for Toll By Plate customers, according to the commission. The most common toll for a Class 5 tractor-trailer (weighing between 11,001 and 14,000 pounds) will increase from $14.40 to $15.20 for E-ZPass and from $29.40 to $30.90 for Toll By Plate.

All new toll rates will be rounded up to the nearest dime.

The toll for driving by passenger car from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg apparently would increase from $24.10 to $25.40 for E-ZPass customers and from $49 to $51.50 for Toll By Plate.

The Turnpike Commission said it will have to continue raising rates for at least 20 more years to repay debt it incurred to meet its obligation for providing PennDOT with supplemental transit funding.

“While these payments were once $450 million a year, they have been reduced to $50 million annually,” said Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “However, our organization had to borrow to make those payments, which total nearly $8 billion.”

The commission indicated its goal is to pare down the size of the annual toll hikes to 3% by 2028.

The commission says it’s doing its part to control costs, finishing its most recent fiscal year with expenses about 15% below what was budgeted and ending the previous year about 25% under budget.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s per-mile toll rates of 15 cents for a passenger car and 55 cents for a five-axle truck place it below the respective national average tolls of 18 cents and 62 cents, Compton said.