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September 28, 2000

FIVE THOUSAND SIGN UP FOR PA TURNPIKE E-ZPASS PROGRAM
Seventy Percent Use Easy Online Enrollment Option

Carlisle (PA) – Two weeks after the launch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s E-ZPass online enrollment program, Executive Director John Durbin announced that 5,000 tags have been ordered via the website www.paturnpike.com and toll free number 1-877-PENN-PASS.

"On Sept. 11, we urged our customers to begin enrolling immediately in the turnpike’s E-ZPass program. So far the response has been great, with 70 percent of our customers visiting the website and using the simple and easy pre-paid credit card option," said Durbin. "Clearly our customers who travel between interchange 18 and 33 want E-ZPass because it’s the convenient way to pay tolls without fumbling for tickets or change."

Durbin said the turnpike would continue to aggressively market its E-ZPass program through brochure distribution and advertising in an effort to get as many customers enrolled as soon as possible. "The more customers we have enrolled on Dec. 2 the more successful our program will be," said Durbin.

After a three month enrollment period, the Turnpike plans to launch E-ZPass for passenger vehicles only on Dec. 2, 2000, between interchanges 18-Harrisburg West and 30-Delaware River Bridge along the east-west mainline, and interchanges 25A-Mid County through 33-Lehigh Valley along the northeast extension where that stretch of the Turnpike has been transformed into a commuter highway. In fact, 64 percent of Turnpike customers travel between those interchanges on a daily basis, and 90 percent of those vehicles are passenger vehicles.

E-ZPass will be available for passenger vehicles statewide in 2001. Trucks will be included in the program in 2002.

E-ZPass electronic toll collection, the convenient way for customers to pay tolls without stopping and fumbling for change or tickets, is currently being used by millions of people who travel up and down the Northeast corridor through Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia.

Customers enrolled in another agency’s program will also be able to use their E-ZPass on the PA Turnpike beginning Dec. 2, 2000.

Customers who enroll in the PA Turnpike’s E-ZPass program and establish a prepaid account by Nov. 2 will receive their E-ZPass tag immediately prior to the Dec. 2 launch.

Account status will be available 24 hours a day at www.paturnpike.com or by calling

1-877-PENN-PASS. Account statements will be available online at no charge. For more information on the Turnpike’s E-ZPass program, or to enroll, visit www.paturnpike.com.

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 P.O. Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676         Phone: (717) 939-9551         Fax: (717) 986-9649