PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - For the 11th consecutive year, tolls will increase on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
This year, the tolls will go up six percent for all drivers just after midnight on Sunday, but those with an E-ZPass will save money. The most common toll for passenger vehicles with an E-ZPass is from $1.30 to $1.38 and from $2.10 to $2.25 for those paying cash.
The increases are in an effort to help the Turnpike Commission pay $450 million in annual funding to PennDOT. In 2007, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania approved Act 44, which mandates the Turnpike Commission provides funding to Commonwealth transportation needs. Beginning in 2023, the annual payment decreases to $50 million, which the Turnpike Commission will pay until 2057.
Carl DeFebo, who is the Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, tells the KDKA Radio Morning News tolls are expected to increase for years to come.
"Even though our payments will drop, our debt is not going to vanish because the law that calls for the sunsetting of this payment actually doesn't address the debt issue."
Governor Tom Wolf criticized the increasing tolls in November, saying they were driving away business.
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