PENNSYLVANIA — Frequent drivers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are starting 2026 with higher tolls, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has approved another increase in rates. The hike marks the 18th consecutive year of toll increases on the Turnpike.
The Commission approved the toll increase during its July 1 meeting, citing ongoing financial obligations tied to Act 44. The 2007 state law requires the Turnpike to provide funding support for transportation projects throughout Pennsylvania.
By contrast, toll increases were far less frequent prior to Act 44’s passage. In the 64 years before the law was enacted, the Turnpike raised tolls only five times.
Since the legislation took effect, the Commission has transferred more than $8 billion to the Commonwealth for transportation-related funding.
While any price increase is unwelcome news for motorists, the latest adjustment comes with a modest caveat: tolls are rising by 4 percent, the smallest annual increase since 2014.
Even so, drivers should not expect relief anytime soon, as KYW Newsradio reports that toll increases are projected to continue for another 25 years.
Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are calculated based on the distance a vehicle travels, with the per-mile rate set to rise from 7 cents to 7.3 cents.
For passenger vehicles, the most frequently charged toll will increase from $1.86 to $1.94 for drivers using E-ZPass, while those paying through Toll By Plate will see the same trip cost rise from $3.72 to $3.88.
Commercial drivers will also see higher charges. The most common toll for a Class-5 tractor-trailer will increase from $23.16 to $24.12 for E-ZPass users and from $46.32 to $48.24 for Toll By Plate customers.
Drivers may recall that the Pennsylvania Turnpike has transitioned to All-Electronic Tolling across its entire system, eliminating traditional toll booths and cash payments. Vehicles now travel through toll points without stopping. Motorists without E-ZPass are billed through the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Toll By Plate system, which uses license-plate imaging to record travel. An invoice detailing the trip is then mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Drivers who use E-ZPass receive a 50 percent discount on tolls for every trip on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In Pennsylvania, maintaining an E-ZPass account carries a $3 annual fee.
When opening a Pennsylvania E-ZPass account, customers are charged the $3 annual fee, and $35 is deposited into the account for toll usage. Once the account balance falls to $10 or less per transponder, the system automatically replenishes the account by transferring $35 per transponder from the linked bank account.
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