OT - Pennsylvania Turnpike

[OriginalEther]

We went up to the game, via Interstate 77 from Charleston, and spent the night in Akron. We decided to drive by Pittsburgh to visit my mom on the way home, hitting the Ohio and PA turnpike.

We enter PA, reach a toll booth just past the state line, and the fare is something like $6.50....WTF!
We get off at the first exit (10 miles) and pay another $1.50 or so, meaning we paid about $9 to travel less than 15 miles on the road.

Has it always been this expensive? And if not, when?
I never drove on it much even when I did live in Pittsburgh, and the last time I was on it was in 2009, going from Monroeville to Hershey. But I don't think I paid that much to drive on it the 150 miles or so back then.

 

[ncyajleel]

It costs less going from Pa to Ohio, you pay once. Coming back you pay twice for some reason. Can't be the for the roads because most of them suck.

 

[NTOP]

We went up to the game, via Interstate 77 from Charleston, and spent the night in Akron. We decided to drive by Pittsburgh to visit my mom on the way home, hitting the Ohio and PA turnpike.

We enter PA, reach a toll booth just past the state line, and the fare is something like $6.50....WTF!
We get off at the first exit (10 miles) and pay another $1.50 or so, meaning we paid about $9 to travel less than 15 miles on the road.

Has it always been this expensive? And if not, when?
I never drove on it much even when I did live in Pittsburgh, and the last time I was on it was in 2009, going from Monroeville to Hershey. But I don't think I paid that much to drive on it the 150 miles or so back then.

Long story. If you continued east, you pay no tolls until you pass Cranberry (Exit 28). They did that to not have to man booths at Beaver Falls/Cranberry/Gibsonia.. And they don't charge to exit westbound once you go through the booths on the Tpk. between Harmarville & Cranberry. I get on at Cranberry and sail into Ohio w/o paying anything.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I get on at Cranberry and sail into Ohio w/o paying anything.

Freeloader!

 

[NTOP]

Freeloader!

Not when my EZ Pass lights up coming home.

 

[wbrpanther]

We went up to the game, via Interstate 77 from Charleston, and spent the night in Akron. We decided to drive by Pittsburgh to visit my mom on the way home, hitting the Ohio and PA turnpike.

We enter PA, reach a toll booth just past the state line, and the fare is something like $6.50....WTF!
We get off at the first exit (10 miles) and pay another $1.50 or so, meaning we paid about $9 to travel less than 15 miles on the road.

Has it always been this expensive? And if not, when?
I never drove on it much even when I did live in Pittsburgh, and the last time I was on it was in 2009, going from Monroeville to Hershey. But I don't think I paid that much to drive on it the 150 miles or so back then.

Around 10 years or so ago they decided to put the main western toll exit at Warrendale, east of the Rt. 79 exit. They supposedly did this to relieve the massive traffic nightmare at the old rt. 79 exit. From Warrendale to the Ohio line you pay no toll. But coming east out Ohio you pay double, a flat rate of 6.20 to make up the difference.This way they don't need as many toll takers. So no matter which exit you take before Warrendale you get raked and you get raked if your trip only takes you east thru that section with no return going west.

 

[JED_72]

Turnpike drivers: PAT and SEPTA riders appreciate your generous donation toward their rides.

Until about 8-10 years ago all toll revenue generated by the TPK was used to maintain, improve and rebuild the TPK (and provide some nice patronage jobs). But, when I-80 escaped being "tolled" and the two big transit systems were screaming for money. Gov. Rendell and the GA changed the rules of the game. Their solution was to raid the TPK revenue.

Since that time the TPK commission has to pay the PA Dept of Transportation $450 million per year primarily to fund public transit and also to help pay for other PA highway maintenance and construction. As a result tolls have been increased annually since that time and will continue to increase annually. At the time the plan began, I paid about $10 from the Chester/Berks county area to Monroeville. It is now over $20 . . ($26, I think).

With the recent increase in the gasoline tax, much less of the money paid by the TPK to the state goes to highway use and more to public transit. However, there is a plan to eventually reduce the $450 million payment so the TPK can better service its rapidly increasing debt load. Don't count on the reduced payment and certainly don't expect reduced tolls.

 

[NTOP]

Around 10 years or so ago they decided to put the main western toll exit at Warrendale, east of the Rt. 79 exit. They supposedly did this to relieve the massive traffic nightmare at the old rt. 79 exit. From Warrendale to the Ohio line you pay no toll. But coming east out Ohio you pay double, a flat rate of 6.20 to make up the difference.This way they don't need as many toll takers. So no matter which exit you take before Warrendale you get raked and you get raked if your trip only takes you east thru that section with no return going west.

One big factor was that connections between the Tpk & I79 were forced to exit both of those onto Rt 19, then take ramps to the other interstate. With the huge growth in Cranberry....thanks, Monroeville, for sending all those Westinghouse jobs.....the current goofy deal was the solution. I think that the PA Tpk has the highest cost/mile except for parts of the NJ Tpk?? EZPass helps a bundle. I even take Rt 910 to Harmarville to avoid that first confiscation eastbound.