Posted on 11/03/2019 2:33:34 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is done with four years of testing and will move full speed ahead with a $129 million project to become a completely cashless toll system by the fall of 2021.
Although the system won’t take cash after that point, the agency expects to continue using toll booths at some exit ramps across the state until 2026. Those booths will record E-ZPass transponder signals or take license plate photographs so the agency can mail bills to drivers until the agency finishes installing 43 overhead gantries on the mainline and Northeast Extension in three phases over the next six years.
The project also means the elimination of jobs for 600 remaining toll collectors and toll auditors, who will have the opportunity to move into other turnpike jobs or take classes at the turnpike’s expense to begin a new career.
“As I sit here today, the pilot phase is behind us,” turnpike CEO Mark Compton said in an interview last week. “The goal is to have the system completely cashless by the fall of 2021.”
Since 2016, the turnpike has been testing cashless tolling at several spots throughout the state, first at the Delaware River Bridge, followed by the Beaver Valley Expressway, the Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit interchanges on the Northeast Extension in Lackawanna County and the Findlay Connector near Pittsburgh International Airport. Just last week, it began cashless tolls at the Gateway Plaza where traffic from Ohio enters the turnpike in Lawrence County and the Turnpike Route 66 bypass in Westmoreland County.
The turnpike’s newest section under construction, the 13-mile Southern Beltway between Route 22 and Interstate 79 near Pittsburgh International Airport, has been designed for cashless tolling.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
PING!
Good move. No need to have humans working in a toll booth.
In Pennsylvania, the toll workers make $45,000 a year for a rather mindless job.
In Pennsylvania, the toll workers make $45,000 a year for a rather mindless job.
Considering the turnpike is a democrat run machine, I suspect there will be 600 workers somewhere else doing pretty much nothing.
Quick question, what percentage of the turnpike’s income goes to supporting Pittsburgh and Philadelphia?
What if you live out of state and are passing through?
What if you are an out of state driver, who doesn’t have an easy pass transponder device? How do you get billed? If you are out of state, simply having a photo of the license plate won’t enable them to bill you in another state , will.it?
There will be a lot of cars with stolen tags driving through.
Yes, they can track you down using the photo of your license plate. I missed pulling over for a toll booth and went through transponder lane. They found me to collect their 75 cents.
North Carolina has the same system. I live in Ohio and I received a bill for tolls.
“ Good move. No need to have humans working in a toll booth.”
Easier to double the toll without anybody noticing too
They will look up your address and mail you a bill.
“If you are out of state, simply having a photo of the license plate won’t enable them to bill you in another state, will.it?”
Yep, and you’ll pay a lot more too. Some states might let you log on and pay that way, saving the cost of mailing you a bill. Not sure, maybe Tol knows.
In any case, I miss the days when US currency could be used anywhere in the US.
They'll track you down and send you a bill which includes a processing fee. You'll be able to pay online via credit card which will also have a processing/convenience fee.
In 2005, they tracked me down when I went to Canada and I had to pay almost Ten dollars for a two dollar toll.
They are making a huge assumption that it will be cheaper to mail out thousands of bills every month instead of paying tollbooth operators. As the only downside of an out of state driver not paying is being denied car insurance and odds are that if you lack car insurance you are also going to ignore a bill.
Not only can they double the toll without notice, but they can change the tolls at any time for any reason.
This is like leaving plastic Easter Eggs full of candy in an elementary school playground!
In Colorado out of state plates are photographed and they receive a bill in the mail.
As far as I know, you can pay over the internet for the 495 express lanes in Virginia, and presumably the ones on I-95 and in Hampton Roads. I have no idea whether any other facilities have that feature.
Maybe they will hire those 600 losing their job to work on the turnpike road crews. It takes very little training to teach them to lean on a shovel all day.
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