December 31, 2023
THEFXEXPERT/WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Motorists who travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be required to start paying 5% more in tolls when the highway's latest toll rate increase takes effect on January 7, 2024.
For some Pennsylvania motorists, the arrival of a new year will mean a costlier commute. On January 7, 2024, tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are set to increase by 5% for motorists who travel along the 360-mile-long highway.
Under the new increased rates, the most common toll for passenger vehicles on the turnpike will increase from $1.80 to $1.90 for E-ZPass customers and from $4.40 to $4.70 for those who use the Toll By Plate electronic tolling system to pay. For medium duty “class 5” trucks – such as a Ram pickup truck or the larger Freightliner Business Class M-2 – the most common toll will increase from $29.40 to $30.90.
For those who are planning to travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike anytime soon, the PTC has a handy toll calculator tool on its website that motorists can use to estimate the toll charges they will incur based on their travel route and the size of their vehicle.
Under the new rates, for example, a standard 2-axle passenger vehicle traveling from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh can expect to pay a total of $36.50 in tolls. By contrast, motorists who don’t have E-ZPass and instead rely on the electronic the Toll By Plate payment system, will pay $74.40 to travel from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike stopped accepting cash and coins as payment for tolls in 2020 and now utilizes and entirely electronic toll payment system.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved the 5% rate hike for motorists traveling on the turnpike back in July 2023. The commission is required to increase toll rates each year so it can meet its legally-mandated obligation to provide supplemental funding to PennDOT for transit systems throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
While the annual increase is a legislative necessity, the PTC says it plans on lowering the annual percentage increase to 3% by 2028.
