Toll Rates to Rise in Several States in 2025

An entrance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Pennsylvania drivers will see toll rates rise 5% beginning Jan. 5. (Wikicommons)

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Starting in January, toll rates on roads in Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York are set to rise anywhere from 3% to 15% for passenger and commercial vehicles.

In the most modest increase, drivers traveling along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway will see a 3% hike in toll rates. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved the fee increase effective Jan. 1 as part of its budget for 2025.

Pennsylvania drivers will see toll rates rise 5% beginning Jan. 5 thanks to an increase approved by commissioners of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in July. The commission noted that their system will shift away from weight-based classification in favor of an axle and height-based Automatic Vehicle Classification system that standardizes rates.

The state noted that while many passenger vehicle drivers will see toll declines under the shift, commercial users may see rates increase.

Thank you to @KOCO and @KOCOAlyse for the coverage of OTA's Board approving new Oklahoma toll rates effective Jan. 1, 2025, and the need for it. Learn more about this upcoming change: https://t.co/kcq2XZOxA3 — Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (@OKTurnpike) December 12, 2024

“Due to the changes with standardization and the AVC classification change, nearly 50% of passenger car trips will see a lower toll rate in 2025 compared to what they pay today,” the state said. “The change in vehicle classification will have a limited impact on non-commercial customers; most widely impacting commercial customers who primarily travel the PA Turnpike empty.”

The state also stressed that the changes would not result in additional revenue beyond the 5% increase approved for 2025.

On Jan. 1, both passenger and commercial vehicles can expect toll rates to increase along the Ohio Turnpike. Unlike other states that are raising rates by percentage calculations across the board, the Ohio Turnpike has a complicated toll structure that charges passenger and commercial drivers fees based on the number of vehicle axles. The more axles, the higher the toll rates.

In 2025, toll rates will rise an average of 7.7% for passenger vehicles as well as most commercial vehicles. The most common commercial vehicle traveling on the Ohio Turnpike is what the state describes as a “high” vehicle with five axles. In this category, toll fees will increase 7.8% to 22 cents per mile, up from last year’s 20.4 cents, for E-ZPass customers. The cash/credit card toll rate will climb to 27.6 cents per mile from 25.6 cents per mile in 2024.

Noting that it pays to operate and maintain turnpike infrastructure completely from toll revenue, the state stated that price hikes will help meet operating, debt service and capital improvement costs.

The highest spike in toll rates is coming to Oklahoma. On Jan. 1, Oklahoma drivers will see toll fares jump 15% across the entire system of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, which operates 12 turnpikes, 630 centerline miles, 808 bridges and 900 interchanges. The hike was approved Dec. 10 by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority along with an automatic 6% increase every two years starting Jan. 1, 2027, to account for inflation. The state said the higher toll fees will create revenue to spend on turnpike improvement projects.

In December, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a plan to increase toll rates effective Jan. 5.

For passenger vehicles, motorcycles and truck tolls, a 25-cent increase was approved as well as 25-cent increases annually from 2026 through 2028 on top of yearly automatic inflation-based toll adjustments for autos and trucks. The increases are intended to raise revenue to help cover a $3 billion loss from March 2020 through March 2022 due to the pandemic, and to pay for operating costs and infrastructure improvements.

The Port Authority also decided to eliminate its truck volume discount. Starting July 6, 2025, there will no longer be a 10% truck volume discount program for companies whose trucks make more than 100 off-peak trips in a month.

The changes are contained in the Port Authority’s 2025 budget, approved Dec. 12.

Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole stated, “This budget continues our effort to set a bold new standard for that work. We’re investing significant money to keep the pedal to the metal on what has become the most ambitious capital program in our 103-year history, overhauling, modernizing and refreshing this region’s critical infrastructure as we chart a course to keep our region moving into an even stronger future.”