30-01-2025
Changes coming to tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (WHTM) — Some people may have seen a recent increase in toll bills on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
'I normally go down from the Gettysburg exit to the Norristown exit to visit my son and his family,' said Chuck Kundtz, of Cumberland County. 'In December, the bill was $14. So, I looked at my latest [bill] this past weekend, $16.60.'
The increase caught Kundtz off guard, so he emailed abc27 News.
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'I just hope that the public understands that they're going to see a price increase,' he said.
Yet, the Turnpike Commission says not everyone will see a bigger bill for a few reasons — starting with two different systems that were approved in July.
'First, it was our annual toll increase that we have been implementing every year for the last several years,' said Crispin Havener, Assistant Press Secretary with the Turnpike Commission.
A five percent hike which went into effect on Jan. 5.
'The second aspect of it, in part to the launch of Open Road Tolling in the East, we have changed how we calculate our toll rate,' he added. 'So now across the entirety of the system, there is a per mile rate of $0.07 per mile plus a dollar nine fee per segment, which is the distance between interchanges or gantries for EZPass customers and their increased rates based on if you have a, you know, a tractor trailer or if you're at EZPass versus a toll by plate.'
He said how much you save on the tolls also depends on your destination and the vehicle you drive — Kundtz told abc27News he drives an SUV.
'Unfortunately, this trip from Gettysburg to Norristown that you mentioned is not one of those cases,' Havener explained. 'This individual trip is one of the ones that will see a greater increase than others as we work to ensure equity across the entire turnpike system.'
You can check out the turnpike's toll calculator if you're curious what your next bill will be.
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