Benefits of ORT

When the PA Turnpike launches ORT in 2025, toll rates will include a per-mile charge based on the length of the “segment” — the stretch of roadway between interchanges that customers travel — along with a fixed charge at each gantry. The per-mile rate and fixed charge will be determined by the vehicle’s classification. These rates will be set and announced before ORT conversion.    

In addition, the Turnpike is using this change as an opportunity to standardize per-mile toll rates statewide. Because the Turnpike opened in sections in the 1940s and 50s, tolls were set for each segment based on revenue requirements at the time. Today, these per-mile rates can vary based on the road’s age. As ORT is implemented, the PA Turnpike Commission plans to standardize per-mile rates to bring uniformity across the 564-mile Turnpike system. 

The ORT system is the next phase of our current All-Electronic Tolling (AET) system, which has been in place since 2020. Since there is no longer a need for toll plazas, they will be replaced by the gantries, meaning there is no need to slow down and maneuver to and through the toll booth lane. And, since there are no barriers at access points, it creates an “open road” model where traffic can flow freely while being charged accordingly.

From the outset, the objective has been to move collections away from the interchanges once gantries are installed along the mainline. The resulting reduction in congestion makes paying your toll faster, more convenient, and safer. 

Our toll rates reflect the cost of operating, rebuilding, and expanding the nation’s oldest four-lane superhighway, parts of which came into service in 1940 — about 15 years before the first U.S. interstates. Tolls fund all our efforts to provide safe, nonstop travel, including 24/7 PA State Police coverage, maintenance, and our safety patrols. Tolls also fund the significant capital investments to rebuild and expand our 560+ mile system to meet growing demand.  

Toll rates also reflect the borrowing costs the Turnpike has incurred in the last 16 years due to a state law, Act 44, which requires the Turnpike to provide supplemental funding to PennDOT, principally to fund transit systems across the state. To learn more about Act 44 and its impact on our customers and agency, please click here. 

Despite what you might hear and read, traveling the Turnpike is NOT one of the most expensive rates in the country. Our per-mile toll rates are in the middle of the pack when compared to other toll agencies across the country and the per-mile toll rate is below the national average for passenger vehicles and most commercial vehicles. It’s important to note that U.S. tolling agencies have adopted our practice of annual rate increases to meet rising financial obligations.  

No. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s sole source of operating-revenue comes from our tolls collected. Our agency does not receive tax dollars from the Commonwealth to maintain and operate our existing system. In fact, the situation is quite the opposite. Under state law, Act 44 enacted in 2007, the Turnpike has provided PennDOT with $8 billion in funding, mainly to fund mass-transit needs in the Commonwealth’s largest metro areas. 

Just four years after the Turnpike started to make these massive payments of $450 million annually to PennDOT, it became clear that the obligation was unsustainable for the Turnpike and our customers. In 2013, state legislators passed Act 89, which slashed the annual payments from $450 million to $50 million per year beginning in 2022. However, the measure did not relieve the Turnpike of the debt resulting from borrowing close to $9 billion from 2007 to 2022.  

The Turnpike is now able to make investments in our system, which had been significantly reduced due to Act 44 impacts and the traffic and revenue loss caused by the pandemic. In FY 2023, the Turnpike is investing $630 million in our capital plan. This spending will have a direct, positive impact on our customers and our statewide economy. At the Turnpike, we are expanding the roadway from four to six lanes to keep up with increased demands and for safety purposes; we are installing a systemwide fiber optic network to power our conversion to All-Electronic Tolling and other improvements. We are adding new interchanges in Montgomery, Lackawanna, and Westmoreland Counties. These interchanges are a critical economic driver for these communities and our state. Ultimately, our goal is to increase capital investments to $1 billion annually. Click here to learn more about our capital plan. 

The Turnpike’s debt service — the repayment of bonds — will continue to rise even though borrowing has ended, growing to an annual maximum of $600 million by 2038 before declining. The Turnpike will be obligated to continue increasing tolls each January. Based on current traffic-and-revenue projections, the Act 44 financial plan calls for toll increases of 5% through 2025, 4% in 2026, 3.5% in 2027, and 3% annually from 2028 until 2050.  

For years, state lawmakers sought innovative ways to fund mounting transportation needs — road, bridge, and transit projects — without raising the already-hefty PA fuel tax. In 2007, these discussions led to passage of Act 44, which called for the state to seek permission to toll Interstate 80 from the federal government. After years of study, planning, and outreach, the Federal Highway Administration rejected Pennsylvania’s tolling application. Even so, the Turnpike’s Act-44 requirement didn’t completely disappear. 

No, our agency has kept operating costs flat for the last five years, even though we are now managing more lane miles and traffic volume than ever before. In addition, the Turnpike has done an effective job managing the debt placed upon us by Act 44 by making prudent borrowing decisions. 

By far, toll dollars comprise the most significant revenue source for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; in fact, the PTC receives zero tax dollars for the operation and maintenance of its 564-mile highway system. When it comes to collection of tolls, the PTC takes a multi-pronged approach. We do all we can to ensure everyone pays. It’s good business and fair play. Most Turnpike customers — around 85% — use E-ZPass which requires a prepaid account. Most Toll By Plate customers also pay invoices on time. The Turnpike is serious about everyone paying their fair share and chases after those who don’t.

The Turnpike recognizes that customers pay a premium to use the Turnpike. From the conveniences we offer at all of our Service Plazas, to keeping our roads safe and clear during severe weather events, and to using national standards and metrics for factors such as road surface quality, travel time and safety, the Turnpike produces an annual performance report that shows we match or exceed most of our industry benchmarks. In short, we are providing safe, uninterrupted time-saving travel on a well-maintained interstate system with 24/7 police and maintenance coverage.