No cash tolls, license centers, construction due to virus concerns
The coronavirus is causing major changes for motorists who venture onto the roads.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is temporarily not accepting cash payments, the state Department of Transportation has closed all driver’s license centers for two weeks and road construction projects have been halted. Those steps are all part of Gov. Tom Wolf’s call to limit social interaction in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.
The department quit using toll collectors and will no longer accept cash payments at 8 p.m. Monday. There will be no change for customers who use the prepaid E-ZPass transponder.
As a result, any customer who usually pays by cash will become a Toll-By-Plate customer, which means the turnpike will take a photo of their license plate when they pass through a toll booth and send a bill by mail within 30 days. Customers can pay online, by phone or by mail.
The move affects about 600 toll collectors who will not report to work but will continue to be paid, spokesman Carl DeFebo said. The agency had been shifting workers the past two weeks to staff facilities because some workers weren’t allowed to leave their home county due to the volume of virus cases there.
“This temporary measure is critical to enable us to support the Commonwealth in its efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” turnpike CEO Mark Compton said in a news release. “I want to be clear that we will return to normal toll-collection operations as soon as it becomes practical.”
Motorists who don’t have an EZPass
account should continue to pass through toll booths marked “tickets” when entering the turnpike and “cash” when exiting from the turnpike, where license plate photos will be taken. On exit,
drivers are told to keep moving. The turnpike urged motorists to be extra cautious because there may be some confusion as this change begins.
Tolls will be calculated at the higher cash rate, but when motorists pay the bill they have the option of creating an E-ZPass account that would instantly charge them the discounted E-ZPass rate.
If motorists don’t pay the first invoice within 20 days, they receive a second bill with an additional fee of $5 or 1.5% of the amount owed, whichever is higher.
Tolls still can be paid by cash on the Mon-Fayette Expressway, which uses automated payment machines.
The turnpike is in the process of changing to an all-electronic payment system in the fall of 2021.
Mr. DeFebo said the agency is having as many people as possible work remotely, including employees at the agency’s call center. Its operations center is splitting 12-hour shifts between its regular center and an emergency auxiliary center so one can be disinfected while the other is in operation.
The normal schedule for winter maintenance crews ended Sunday, but Mr. DeFebo said small crews are working 12-hour shifts to handle emergencies.
The turnpike also took steps last week to limit services at the King of Prussia and Valley Forge service plazas to reduce contact between motorists and employees. All restaurants and bathrooms inside the plazas are closed and portable toilets are available outside. PennDOT closed all visitor centers and welcome centers statewide.
All road construction was halted on turnpike and PennDOT projects at midnight.
PennDOT announced that all license centers will be closed for at least the next two weeks. The department had closed centers in five counties last week, but closures were extended across the state at the close of business on Monday.
As a result, any of the following items that had expiration dates between March 16 and March 31 will be extended to April 30: driver’s licenses, photo ID cards, learner’s permits, vehicle registrations, safety and emissions inspections, and parking placards for people with disabilities.