Between gas and tolls, it could cost you more than $100 to drive across Pa. this summer

(Undated) — This summer is shaping up to be one of the most expensive driving seasons in years, especially in Pennsylvania. And even more so if you’re driving on the turnpike.

Pennsylvania currently has one of the highest average gas prices in the nation — over $3 a gallon heading into vacation season, according to the Automobile Association of America.

A release says that AAA predicts prices will continue to rise, making driving more expensive than it’s been since 2014.

Not only are Pennsylvania’s gas prices unusually high, but turnpike drivers are paying more for tolls. Rates rose about 6 percent earlier this year.

Together, that makes crossing the state an expensive proposition. Here’s the cost breakdown for traveling from the Ohio Connection to the Delaware River Bridge on the Turnpike, a distance of 356.7 miles:

• Tolls: $55 (cash; $39.25 if you have an E-Z Pass)
• Gas: approximately $45.60 (assuming 23.6 miles per gallon and $3.02 per gallon)
• Total cost: $100.60 (cash) or $84.85 (E-Z Pass)

The Associated Press reports that gas prices are on the rise thanks to a worldwide increase in demand coupled with a supply slowdown. That’s especially noticeable in Pennsylvania, due to our abnormally high gas tax.

A release from the Turnpike attributes the 2018 toll hikes a state law that mandates the Turnpike contribute to Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs.

That has prompted the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association to sue the Turnpike, challenging the constitutionality of recent toll increases. 

This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The York Daily Record.