Pennsylvania Senate approves bill to go after unpaid Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls

One bill halfway through the Pennsylvania statehouse targets Pennsylvania Turnpike users who do not pay tolls.

Senate lawmakers voted unanimously last week to advance a bill to the House that calls for garnishing certain Pennsylvania lottery winnings and state income tax returns of non-paying turnpike users.

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, said the Pennsylvania Turnpike reported a projected total of $155 million in unpaid tolls from April 2021 to March 2022. That amount was up 49% from the previous year.

For 2023, the amount of unpaid tolls has increased to $170 million – up $15 million from the previous year.

“The Turnpike made a mistake in going totally cashless and laying off those toll collectors. Ever since, it seems unpaid tolls have gone up by the tens of millions each year,” Boscola said in recent remarks.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved layoffs of 500 toll collectors in June 2020. The decision moved the interstate network to a cashless system.

“Law-abiding Pennsylvanian’s have been paying their fair share. However, repeated toll offenders are escaping accountability,” Boscola stated. “Without more effective methods, we risk the erosion of the entire system as more individuals seek to evade payment.”

Another tool to go after ‘scofflaws’

Her bill, SB473, includes multiple recommendations offered by the office of the Pennsylvania Auditor General in its performance audit report. The audit highlighted several mechanisms the Turnpike Commission could use to enforce unpaid toll collection.

Specifically, the legislation would garnish lottery winnings in excess of $2,500. Taxpayers due a state income tax refund also would have unpaid toll amounts deducted from their refund.

The Department of Revenue would work with the Turnpike Commission to set up guidelines and framework for determining delinquencies in paying tolls.

“My bill will create another tool to go after these scofflaws,” she said. “We needed to come up with a creative method to maximize collections so we can reinvest those funds in Turnpike improvement projects.”

SB473 awaits further consideration in the House Finance Committee.

Vehicle registration suspensions for unpaid tolls

The legislative pursuit follows up a new law intended to help the Turnpike recover unpaid tolls.

Since Jan. 1, state law permits the commission to notify vehicle registrants with at least $250 in unpaid bills that it is seeking to have their registrations suspended.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law the bill aimed at recovering unpaid tolls of about 25,000 vehicles.

Once notifications are received, owners have six weeks to pay before registrations are potentially suspended.

The number of unpaid tolls required to start the enforcement process is four invoices. The look-back period for violations is five years. LL

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