Penn Pike to Study Variable Tolls

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is planning a study of peak/off-peak toll differentials and other variable pricing schemes as a means of combating congestion. It is looking for support from the federal govt’s “value pricing program” which provides grants for innovative pricing projects. The Penn pike aims to have electronic tolling (ET) operating in the heart of its network by the fall of this year. Both the east-west mainline (I-76 from Valley Forge west),

I-276 (from Valley Forge east) and the southern part of the Northeast Extension (I-476) are heavily congested.

Toll plaza throughput should be increased by ET once the system is well used but latent demand could add traffic. And the travel lanes themselves are heavily loaded. The pike is pushing several ET-only ‘slip ramps’ independent of the existing interchanges.

Contractors are present installing antennas, readers, lane controllers and other equipment for ET from the end plaza on the Delware River (IC-29) west some 200km (125mi) to IC-18 at

I-83 at Harrisburg, and from the east-west mainline some 60km (37mi) up the Northteast Extension to IC-33 in Allentown. This part of the turnpike tolls by trip with magstripe tickets dispensed to motorists as the enter which are tendered to a toll collector on exit.

For the moment ET on the Penn pike will only cater to passenger vehicles.