Pa. Turnpike Truck Traffic Declines as Tolls Rise

Truck traffic on the western end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike has declined as tolls have jumped 35% for E-ZPass users since 2009, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

Tolls rose again Sunday, with truckers now paying about $145 to go from the Warrendale toll plaza near Pittsburgh to the Delaware River Bridge — up from $107 in 2008.

Average daily truck traffic has declined in the turnpike’s western section by a range of 3.4% to 14% since 2008, the Tribune-Review reported.

Jim Runk, executive director of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, told the newspaper that he was not surprised by the reduced traffic numbers and said some truckers preferred to take alternate routes, such as Interstate 80, following previous toll hikes.