Travelers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike can expect to pay an increased toll next year after the Turnpike Commission approved a 5% increase for E-ZPass and Toll By Plate customers on Tuesday, July 18.

According to the Turnpike Commission, the most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase next year from $1.80 to $1.90 for E-ZPass customers and from $4.40 to $4.70 for Toll By Plate customers. The new prices will be in effect beginning Jan. 7.

Turnpike tolls will continue to rise through at least 2053 “as part of its legislative mandate to provide PennDOT supplemental funding for transit systems around the state as outlined by Act 44 of 2007,” said Mark Compton, Turnpike CEO.

“We recognize that our customers pay a premium when they choose to travel on the PA Turnpike,” Compton said. “In return, we endeavor to provide a dependable, premium experience that gets our customers safely to their destinations in a timely fashion.”

The Turnpike remains less expensive than the national average amid toll increases, he said.

“Among 47 toll road, bridge, and tunnel operators in the U.S., the PA Turnpike’s E-ZPass passenger rate of 15 cents per mile is nearly 20% below the national average of 18 cents,” the Turnpike Commission stated in a news release. “Likewise, the PA Turnpike’s E-ZPass commercial rate of 55 cents per mile is 12% below the national average of 62 cents per mile.”