They haven’t been accepting tolls at booths for awhile now. Who did you pay? As far as I understand these days it’s ez pass or the plate thing. $40 sounds about right. The turnpike is straight robbery. $6 is like 1/2 mile.

Yeah, you just paid some random stranger. They don't collect tolls in person anymore.

There haven't been in person toll pay in PA for a while now. It's pay by EZ pass or by license plate.

There were people in all the booths at the ezpass stations. Since I don’t have ezpass I took the cash only section along with several others in front of and behind me.

Is it common for people to go out and sit in the booths and scam cash from people? Because I wasn’t the only one going through the booths and paying cash

Well that’s concerning. I and several others paid cash when we drove through the toll booths

How long ago was this?

https://cleveland.com/business/2020/06/pennsylvania-turnpike-goes-cashless-will-bill-you.html

This was October 2022

No idea. I haven't seen it before.

Yes, I'm pretty sure they went cashless back in 2020 and never went back to it.

I went through on the first weekend of October. There were people sitting in the booths with the gates down collecting cash and allowing people through.

Then who was I paying cash to? Was I being scammed? I wouldn’t have been able to get through the toll booth otherwise

That’s really strange because they got rid of cash pay a few years ago due to Covid

Why couldn't you just drive through? Pa tollbooths don't have anything keeping you from driving right through. They just have lights telling you to stop or go.

202 bridge from NJ to PA has people in booths collecting cash.

There is no “cash” section at any PA toll booths on the turnpike.

Did you get a receipt? Even if it was a scammer or smthing if you have some proof of paying you could send them that. Maybe get an investigation going idk

When when the turnpike was accepting cash you didn't pay getting on. You picked up a ticket at the dispenser that marked your entrance and you paid your fee when you got off. The fee is based on how far you traveled.

You say you're from out of state. Did you come over into PA from the NJ Toll Bridge? That $3 you paid cash was most likely a bridge toll not the Turnpike

Correct. This was when I got off the turnpike. There was a gate stopping people and someone was there taking cash

Wouldn’t that be an NJ toll?

https://www.paturnpike.com/toll-calculator is where you can see what the toll should have cost you, which is likely the bill you received in the mail. Regarding the cash transaction, can you provide more details on what booths this was?

I’ll have to look back through my papers but it’s been so long ago now that I likely threw it away

Are you sure you weren’t in Kentucky?

Correct, I paid when I got off the turnpike each time. I probably got off 3 or 4 times.

I was coming from Ohio so it wasn’t the bridge

This is a bullshit story and I don't know why you're sticking to it unless you're doing it just for shits and giggles. Pennsylvania hasn't had manned booths or gates for a couple years.

I checked that and the $40 looks to be accurate. I’m just wondering what the $3 each time I got off the turnpike was for.

I’ll have to go back and see what toll booths I got off at. I probably got off 3 or 4 times

Yeah, I came through via Ohio

Tools like this are usually run by both states together through a newly created entity.

That same toll bridge has ez pass as well. No reason it has to be special if EZ pass can collect everything in an automated fashion.

What reason do I have to make up a story? I’m not from Pennsylvania and I don’t normally use the turnpike so I don’t know how it’s supposed to work. It seemed strange to me that I was getting charged in person and then again by “toll by plate” so I asked the question.

Where did you come from? There's a cash bridge from NJ to PA? Otherwise everything in the state is pay by ez pass or mail.

Yeah I don't believe this story at all unless you fell in from another universe.

Not sure if it’ll help but the Ohio/Pennsylvania border still has cash booths. It’s $2 in/out. If you paid at that toll and then continued on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you’d still have a PA toll to pay since the rest of the turnpike is all cashless.

Edit: some grammar mistakes

I could see this possibly happen at one exit but not multiple on the same day. Either the OP is delusional or it’s total bullshit or OP was not on the Pa turnpike

https://www.paturnpike.com/responsibility-matters/covid-19-information

So the PA turnpike has not had manned toll-booths for almost 3 years now. The only manned booths are at state crossings(like the bridges from NJ to PA). Not saying you’re story is BS, but you most certainly dont have to pay $3 in cash to reenter the road if you exit. Also no PA toll booth will stop you from going through anymore. This is very mysterious to me.

I added this as a reply to someone else but adding as top level comment as well.

Not sure if it’ll help but the Ohio/Pennsylvania border still has cash booths. It’s $2 in/out for cars. If you paid at that toll and then continued on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you’d still have a PA toll to pay since the rest of the turnpike is all cashless and would’ve used your plate for the toll.

And not the turnpike

Ah yeah, good point. Doesn’t matter either way I guess.

I came in via Ohio could that have something to do with it? Like I said I don’t use toll roads on a regular basis

You pay a toll when exiting the Ohio turnpike and then a separate toll shortly after in Pennsylvania and it is toll by plate or ez pass. Maybe you’re thinking of the toll at the end of the Ohio turnpike?

Are you sure you aren’t thinking of the Ohio toll stations? You do have to stop there and pay cash.

There are no gates to put down at the booths as there's no reason to stop the vehicles and in fact they want you to 'KEEP MOVING' as is so generously plastered on every variation of sign.

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I take the turnpike all the time for work, never along the 76 highways is there anyone taking cash. That includes 276, 476 and 376. Other states may as you leave, like someone else mentioned, NJ is $4 now to leave their state and if you are crossing onto the PA turnpike, it'll look like that should be the toll but then you'll have the PA booths or arches further down. The States been toll by plate since covid and laid off all their booth workers.... they've been slowly removing the booths for the fast arches.

Most, if not all, booths don’t have a “toll arm”, the signs say “keep moving”

1. Do you remember a toll arm?
2. Do you remember the road? I-76, 43, etc?

If you paid cash & are now getting an invoice, (if you hadn’t already), contact pa turnpike

By Phone

1-877-736-6727

For agent assistance with E-ZPass or Toll By Plate issues: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

For agent assistance with general inquiries or permit questions: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

If you got scammed, they need to know. Most, if not all, booths have cameras - this is how you were found. They can investigate where you paid & if you should’ve paid.

Hope this helps.

Ohio still has cash toll booths along with EZPass. You likely paid the Ohio toll. PA is toll-by-plate only.

You were not at a PA toll booth if there was someone in it taking cash. PA hasn't had cash booths since covid hit.

But again, the PA Turnpike toll is not a flat fee. It's per distance and always has been. That $3 you paid was not your fee for traveling the PA Turnpike. Was that booth at Ohio the only one that you were charged at?

Ohio has gates and actual toll booths still. You probably paid Ohio.

The machine reads your plate and bills you. So you're right you can drive right thru. Unless your brazen enough to remove your plate you'll get a bill(or the registered owner of the plate will).

https://www.paturnpike.com/rampup/before-road

Just pick up the phone and call the agency the toll came from. I’m sure there’s a phone number on the bill you received in the mail. This post seems like an unnecessary step in attempting to solve your problem/confusion, with everyone caught up on whether or not the turnpike has manned toll booths.

I saw cars lined up to pay cash on my way back from New Jersey on 276 at the “start” of the PA turnpike just yesterday.

I think you were in Ohio where there are $3 tolls. We don’t have them, you would have remembered paying $40.

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Must have been the Jersey side because Pa is all cashless. https://www.paturnpike.com/all-electronic-tolling

Nope. Was on the PA side. Just after you get over the Delaware bridge heading westbound.

Call the number on your bill and stop trying to sort this out based on Reddit comments. It’s frankly a ridiculous way to solve your problem

I'm not sure who you have money to my man but there haven't been toll workers since 2020. Penndot laid them all off at the beginning of the pandemic. They had been planning this for a long time, the pandemic just sped things up.

I just went through that toll on Saturday. No people in the booths. No toll collection at all.

Stop debating this with know-it-alls and pick up the phone. Sorry to comment so many times but this post is not getting you anywhere

Going into Jersey?

I don’t know what to tell ya. This was just yesterday. There was two lanes of 20 or so cars lined up to pay the toll. I was in the ez-pass lane that goes fast and around and saw all these cars lined up paying cash.

No. After leaving New Jersey and getting to the PA side heading westbound.

That's the bridge toll

So it would seem. I’m Going to call on Monday. I appreciate the help regardless. I’m thinking it is something to do with the transition from Ohio turnpike to PA turnpike

I think as others have commented, you have mistaken this for the PA turnpike system. You were probably paying "tolls" from other states to enter/leave that state.
PA has never had a flat amount either, that sounds like NJ/OH thin. We are the most expensive toll road in the world, trust us, $3 don't get you far on the turnpike.

Not sure which is the bigger scam. Random letter in the mail "you owe me $40" or guy on the side of the road "that's three bucks have a nice day".

Or just the idea of a toll on roads in the 21st century like everyone doesn't benefit from the delivery of people goods commerce etc. e tolling sounds nice but what a waste of resources to track it all.

Yeah I’m thinking my confusion lies around the transition from the OH to PA Turnpike. I’m going to call on Monday

Yeah I’m not sure what I expected tbh 😂

That sounds correct. I think my confusion lies around the transition from OH to PA turnpike

Yeah I figured I might be able to get my question answered quick here since it’s the holiday. Regardless I was planning to call first thing on Monday.

OK. So the turnpike isn’t entirely cashless as the OP was questioning.

Thanks for the help y’all. I think my confusion has to do with the transition from OH turnpike to PA turnpike. I likely paid the Ohio tolls in person and lost track of the change over when I got into PA. I don’t drive toll roads too often so I appreciate everyone helping me understand the system a bit better.

Thank you for the well written response. I was planning on calling Monday regardless due to the holiday. I think my confusion came from the transition from OH to PA turnpike.

There was an accident near the toll plaza.

The turnpike is. The bridge is run by the Bridge Commission and is a completely separate thing

It happens. It's not always easy to find when you cross, especially in heavy traffic. If you're doing a long drive, it makes it even easier to forgot or notice you're in a new state.

Exactly. I was many hours into a long drive after an already long day while also dealing with a quickly worsening mechanical failure. Add that to the traffic and hauling a trailer and It’s safe to say that keeping track of tolls and state crossings weren’t the highest on my priority list 😂

I delivered brand new box trucks and semis when I was in college. In the northeast, many roads look the same. Not only is it easy to forget or not know which state you're in, but you can easily miss exists.
In reality, same goes for many highways in parts of the country. You become numb to it and just drive.

I went through there too, they sometimes use that pull off for weight checks on trucks but they definitely no longer take cash at those booths. No one was in line when I passed through yesterday morning.

I made mistakes but I called , all was forgiven. Pleased with results.

If you are talking about a bridge, that’s different.

The guy is from out of town and is probably mixing up borders/entrances/exits/bridge tolls etc. Calm down.

No. It happens in South and Central America all the time though.

Down 276 there is plate tolls. Unless u have Ezpass u get it in the mail

They should just tax the trucks. They do most of the damage anyways.

If you paid your fee at the booth and you were coming from out of state, what probably happened was you paid at a booth at the boarder and were paying to exit the OH turnpike. Then as you crossed into PA, they snapped a pic of your plate for using the PA turnpike because we haven't had any in person booths in years.

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yeah, exactly this. And, we don't have anything to prevent you from driving right through the toll booth

Read the original post. This didn't happen

No idea why you'd make up a story but you did

I figured out my mistake. Thanks 👍

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