The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Gateway station entering from Ohio and the Turnpike Route 66 bypass in Westmoreland County will become the turnpike’s next cashless toll points.
Beginning Oct. 27, motorists using those roads will not be able to pay tolls by cash. Toll booths will be replaced by overhead gantries that will record payments from a prepaid E-ZPass transponder — which about 85% of motorists have — or take a photo of their license plate from an overhead gantry and send the motorist a bill in the mail.
“Cashless tolling has been adopted by dozens of agencies across the United States because of the improved safety and mobility it provides,” turnpike CEO Mark Compton said in a statement. “Everyone pays electronically, so there’s no need to stop; all motorists benefit from the convenience of uninterrupted travel.
“Plus, interchange safety is improved since cash-paying and E-ZPass customers no longer need to dart across tollbooth traffic to get in the correct lane.”
Today, the toll at Gateway, which is eastbound only, is $5.50 for E-ZPass and $7.90 for Toll By Plate. For the mainline on Toll 66 the cost is $1.90 for E-ZPass and $2.80 for Toll By Plate. Both could increase when the Turnpike Commission makes its yearly rate adjustment, which could happen later this month.
The turnpike already has cashless tolling at four other locations: Beaver Valley Expressway and the Findlay Connector in Western Pennsylvania and part of the Northeastern Extension and the Delaware River Bridge in the east.
The turnpike’s goal is to have all cashless tolling by the end of 2022. So far, toll collectors have been relocated to other cash sites or switched to other jobs.
The turnpike says more than 30 agencies in 14 states already have switched to all cashless tolling.
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1470 or on Twitter @EdBlazina.
First Published: July 10, 2019, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: July 10, 2019, 10:45 a.m.
