Pennsylvania Turnpike Reports $104 Million In Uncollected Tolls

A total of $104 million of uncollected tolls were reported amid the Pennsylvania Turnpike's conversion to all-electronic tolling last year.

An internal turnpike report issued in July and obtained by the Associated Press revealed the millions of drivers who don't use E-ZPass had a nearly 50% chance of riding without paying under the "toll-by-plate" license plate camera system.

The information, which was obtained by the AP through a Right-to-Know Law request, revealed nearly 11 million Pennsylvania Turnpike drivers among about 170 million total generated no revenue for the agency in the 2020 fiscal year, which ended May 31.

“We take this issue very seriously. It is a big number, there’s no question,” turnpike Chief Executive Mark Compton said via the AP. “But we, as an organization, are leaving no stone unturned in the way in which we’re going after that leakage.”

Toll revenue "leakage" -- a term referring to uncollected tolls -- has become a focus of turnpike agencies nationwide as E-ZPass transponders and license plate cameras continue to become more frequent.

The issue is particularly problematic for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is already debt-strapped and pays more than half of its total revenue toward borrowing costs and tolls, which have more than quadrupled in 12 years.

In July, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced its plan to increase toll fares for the 14th consecutive year.

WPXI reported 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.