It has become an annual ritual: a 6% increase in the tolls on the turnpike, across the board.
"The most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase from a $1.40 to $1.50 for E-Z Pass and from $2.30 to $2.50 for cash-paying customers," said Carl DeFebo with the turnpike.
DeFebo says that's primarily the charge for short-term trips in the Philadephia area — from exit to exit. If you decide to travel the length of the turnpike — say from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh — it'll cost you more than $50.
DeFebo says the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is required by a 2007 state law to borrow $450 million annually to give to PennDOT to support mass transit systems, including SEPTA.
He says that means tolls have to go up to begin paying off the debt.
One way drivers can mitigate the toll hikes, he says, is to sign up for E-Z Pass.
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"One of the things that people think with E-Z Pass is that you have to travel a lot in order to benefit from it. But it really only costs you $3 a year to have an E-Z Pass account, and a lot of customers can make that up in a day or two with the savings that they get from the system," DeFebo said.
E-Z Pass rates are less, and he says it's a good deal — even if you travel on the turnpike infrequently.
"Every time that you get on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, if you have E-Z Pass, you're saving at least $1 every time you use our system. So, it makes a lot of sense to switch," he said. "And we've been recommending for people who have been on the fence about E-Z Pass that a toll increase is a really good time to look into it because of the savings."