Penn Pike corrects toll plan for I-80 - 70% of cars won't be tolled

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission now says that more than 70% of cars traveling on I-80 won't pay a toll. The first version of the plan yesterday said that more than a third of passenger car trips would be free. That was apparently a writing mistake at the Commission.

There will be about one toll point on the mainline of I-80 approximately every 56km (35 miles) - 501/9, 311/9.

Since there are 59 interchanges and only nine toll points only about every sixth 'leg' or distance between adjacent interchanges will have a toll.

In another move to assuage local anti-toll sentiment the Commission is proposing that private cars with E-ZPass transponders will get the first pass of a toll point free and only pay second and subsequent tolls.

As well the Commission has revised its estimate of the average truck toll to traverse the length of I-80 in 2010 - from $100 yesterday to $93 today. The car tolls will add up to $25 for the same 501km (311 miles) between New Jersey and Ohio.

Trucker big bill discounts

As well today the Commission announced proposed volume discounts for truckers using E-ZPass:

- 10% off for monthly toll bills of $1,000 to $5,000
- 15% off for monthly tolls of $5,000 to $10,000
- 20% off for monthly tolls of $10,000 and up

Normally with cashless or all-electronic tolling toll rates are higher for camera-based tolls than for transponder tolls - both to cover the higher costs of collecting the camera tolls and to give a financial break to locals and regular users (more likely to have a transponder). However the Pennsylvania Turnpike is proposing instead to give the break in the form of the first toll pass being free with a transponder for cars, and the big bill discounts for trucks with E-ZPass accounts.

It isn't clear how much toll revenue the Commission is sacrificing with these toll concessions. No traffic and revenue study of the proposed tolling has yet been released.

Tolling of I-80 while authorized by state law July 2007 and was made the subject of a public-public partnership or concession contract between the Turnpike Commission and PennDOT representing the state.

However tolling still has to be approved by the US Government.

see revised announcement http://www.paturnpike.com/I80/news/nr080608.aspx

TOLLROADSnews 2008-08-07