Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Approves Toll Increase

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has approved another toll increase that will take effect in January.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission used to implement big toll hikes years apart… but is now continuing the practice of smaller annual increases.

Spokesman Carl DeFebo says the increase that will take effect in January will also continue the practice in recent years of higher toll increases for cash customers.

"A ten percent increase for those who pay with cash, and a two percent increase for those who use E-ZPass. That means, beginning in 2013, that if you have E-ZPass, you'll paying about 25 percent less on average."

That last number represents the cumulative gap that will result from several years of differential rate hikes. Tolls for cash customers are rounded up to the next nickel, meaning the most common passenger toll paid will go from $1.25 to $1.40 for cash, and from a dollar to $1.02 for E-ZPass users.