The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is ready to implement the first phase of a landmark toll collection system transformation at 12:01 AM this Sunday morning, January 5. At that hour, PTC will start the fully electronic, open-road tolling (ORT) of its network east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension. (The same system is due for launch on the commission’s western segments in January 2027.)
In a detailed news release issued yesterday, PTC acclaimed the benefits of ORT for drivers and nearby communities, explained the workings of the new collection system, and encouraged customers to prepare for changes brought about by the new system.
The release also addresses toll structure changes that will coincide with the ORT launch. On Sunday, PTC will introduce a consistent per-mile rate schedule and axle- and height-based automated vehicle classification (AVC). “Both changes,” it explains in a briefing document, “increase predictability and consistency for our customers.”
An annual toll hike will also take effect on Sunday morning. However, given the toll structure changes, PTC notes that nearly half of all passenger car trips will involve lower toll charges starting Sunday. “About 84% of E-ZPass and 74% of Toll By Plate trips will see a toll cut or an increase of under $1 in 2025 and about 70% of commercial vehicles will see an increase of $5 or less. The standardization of rates and the move to AVC will not result in additional revenues for the PA Turnpike beyond [2025’s 5 percent rate hike], and the toll schedule keeps the PA Turnpike’s rates at mid-range among tolling agencies across the country.” Complete toll schedules for 2025 and prior years can be downloaded from the PTC website.
“The launch of Open Road Tolling is perhaps the most significant change since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as ‘America’s First Superhighway’ and continues our legacy as a national leader in transportation,” commented PennDOT secretary and PTC chair Mike Carroll. Commission CEO Mark Compton noted, “For the past 15-years our team has been working tirelessly to make ORT a reality to further meet customers’ expectations for safe, convenient, and seamless travel.”
In The Philadelphia Inquirer, the turnpike’s chief operating officer, Craig Shuey, discusses the significance of the ORT launch and rate structure changes. He also notes that the system transition will allow PTC To start obsolete tollbooth demolition and ramp rehabilitation projects later this year.