Pennsylvania Turnpike Raising Toll Fare For 14th Consecutive Year

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission plans to increase toll fares for the 14th consecutive year.

WPXI reports the commission has approved a 5% increase on tolls, which continues an annual increase dating back to 2007.

The proposed increase, which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on January 2, 2022, is the lowest in six years and will be effective across the entire system excluding the Southern Beltway (PA Turnpike 576) west of Pittsburgh for both E-ZPass and toll by plate drivers.

The commission said -- as was the case with all previous annual increases since 2009 -- the new measure was implemented in an effort to meet escalating debt-service costs stemming from the commission's payments to the state for transit operations.

Additionally, the PTC plans to make its final annual payment of $450 million later this month and the $400 million in annual transit funding provided to the commission will be funded by the Commonwealth's Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax beginning July 2022.

The PTC also approved the toll-rate schedule for the opening of the Southern Beltway, which is scheduled to begin in October 2021.

Tolls for the Southern Beltway will include a 45% additional charge set in place for the Turnpike system, which will exclude it from the set January 2022 toll increase.

“Today’s action is the first time in six years that the rate of increase is under 6%,” explained PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton via WPXI. “Starting in July 2022, our transit funding requirement to PennDOT under Act 44 of 2007 will be cut to $50 million annually. Finally, we are seeing a light at the end of this very long tunnel. In addition to breathing a huge sigh of relief ourselves, it enables us to begin to offer some relief to customers from those heftier toll increases and refocus on essential improvements to our roadway.”