People have been reading my blog since it's inception will probably recognize this post. It's about turnpikes, and why I think they should eliminate the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and more importantly the PA Turnpike Commission. The reason I am posting it again is because the PA turnpike commission is passing a toll increase on the turnpike from 4.1 cents a mile to 5.9 cents a mile, rounded up to the closest .25 cents. It is an old road, and past its time. It's like a rotary phone you pay for every month on your phone bill. It's a throwback to a different time. A time that should be forgotten.
Here's what I had to say 4 months ago:
I've about had it with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. More importantly, I hate the PA Turnpike Commission. In case you don't know, the turnpike is a toll road. You pay 4.1 cents per mile to drive on it. This throwback to the early days of interstate travel is past it's prime. The toll booths should be bulldozed, and the civil servant hacks at the commission should be sent to hold signs at PennDot.
Right now the Turnpike Commission is seeking to raise its per mile rate to compensate for rebuilding the aging road first opened over 60 years ago. The last toll increase was in 1991. But what do we get for these tolls?
The answer is, nothing spectacular. In its prime it was a marvel. A feat of engineering. It's just an old highway now. The road is bumpy and crumbling. If you stop at the travel plazas scattered along the state-wide 4-laner, you will pay ridiculous prices for gasoline, and eat mediocre overpriced food. As I speak, the current rate for gasoline on the turnpike is about 15 cents a gallon more than that off the turnpike. A Burger King value meal is about $1.50 more on the turnpike than off.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Tom, I drive the Penn turnpike pretty often going to my sister's in Northern Virginia from Ohio, and I agree it's an overpriced mess. It is dangerous - especially in bad weather - and far too curvy for a supposed turnpike/freeway-type road. In daytime and good weather it's a pretty drive, but at night or in wet or snowy weather it's a nightmare. Being from California, I have never understood the toll-road concept in the first place: why the hell should you have to pay to use a road beyond what you already pay in gasoline taxes and auto license fees anyway? It totally screws up traffic, wastes time, ansd makes driving in parts of the Midwest and East an enormous pain in the ass. Abolish all toll roads except for commercial vehicles.
2 - Jay
I travel the turnpike occasionally and agree with the article but one thing I thought would have been mentioned is the condition of the roads! The condition of the roads are not the best but I have never had a problem with damage to my car from the roads... Until 1-17-2006. I had traveled from PA to NC to purchase a somewhat hard to come by car. The trip was great, the weather was nice, the car was perfect, me and my wife had a really nice time. We left NC on 1-17-2006 and were traveling the turnpike home to Northeast PA, it was night time and it was raining pretty hard. We were driving at about 60 mph when I hit a hole in the road (I say hole and not pothole because it was a massive hole in the road), the whole front of my car fell right in the hole and slammed real hard, I quickly slowed down to about 40 mph and all of a sudden 2 huge holes again!!! I couldnt see the hole with how hard it was raining because they were filled with water so it looked like just a normal part of the road. I couldnt believe it, I swerved into the left lane and drove about 30 mph just to make sure the car was okay and the tires were ok. Just up the road I seen a Dodge Intrepid on the side of the road with his flashers on, as I passed I seen the whole half of his drivers bumper was broke and his wheel was flat. I was so mad! My car was damaged, but I was also mad because we could have been seriously hurt, if we hit one of those holes the wrong way it could of done alot more damage. Anyway, at least we were okay and we finally made it home. After getting home I contacted the PA Turnpike Commission to make a claim, they said ok and to send in 2 estimates. I sent them 2 estimates and a couple weeks later I received a letter saying they are not responsible for damage from natural causes. So, what I dont get is why should I pay to travel the turnpike? To have my car damaged? I dont understand, they are not responsible for their roads yet our tolls we pay is to have the roads maintained?? What a rip off!
3 - Hobie
I drove east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Feb 12, 2010. There had been a significant snow storm two days earlier. Near mile marker 50 the two-lane highway abruptly became a one-lane passage with no warning, no signs, no lights -- the right lane just ended. I reported this to the toll-taker later that evening; he said, "Yeah, I know about that." This kind of negliegence is completely unacceptable and someone needs to be called to public shame for such poor management.
4 - kj
in jan 2009 i had the luxury of driving from md to pgh on the turnpike and saw what appeared to be half of a blown out truck tire in the middle of the lane. it was in an area where there wasn't any shoulder so i had no where to swerve. the guy in front of me did but no one was in the other lane. instead of causing a 4 car accident i decided to go over it. much to my surprise it was not a tire, but instead a concrete slab. my 1 yr old car with only 19,000 now has a used transmission and engine from a junkyard in ohio. awesome. thank you turnpike for making us pay to drive on your unsafe roads.
5 - Dave
I live is Wheeling and drive to Allentown and Washington DC frequently and I refuse to use the expensive turnpike. I drive the extra distance down to Morgan town and take the 68 across. The 68 is a much better Interstate and it is free.
6 - Alden Wilner
Wait.. You don't like the turnpike because they want to maintainit?
You don't like it because restaurants charge more for the convenience of eating without fighting city traffic?
Some states -- and I'm pretty sure Pennsylvania is one of them -- use turnpikes as cash cows, diverting toll collections into everything from maintenance of other highways to politicians' slush funds.
Come out to Kansas some time and see how a well managed, well maintained turnpike works.
7 - laurac68
God, I'm glad I live in Virginia!