Jeffrey A. Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, speaks before the Aug. 27, 2024 meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Dept of Transportation Accountability. The meeting was part of the August legislative interim schedule.
Credit cards will be accepted at toll facilities along the West Virginia Turnpike next year Ƶ joining existing cash and E-ZPass payment options Ƶ all of which will be available to pay for another toll increase, also on the horizon for 2025.
The addition of credit cards, a toll increase, and an update on the Beckley and Bluestone travel plaza upgrades were discussed at TuesdayƵs legislative interim meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Department of Transportation Accountability.
Vehicles pass through West Virginia Turnpike toll booths in this undated photo.
Courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Transportation
Jeffrey A. Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, told committee members that the Authority will follow state code for toll increases, which allows for no more than a 5% increase no less than every three years. The last increase was in 2022. Currently, motorists pay $4.25 at each toll station. Unlimited use of the E-ZPass transponder is $26.25 per year.
ƵWeƵve seen an inflationary increase in goods, materials, and this goes all the way down to paving projects, construction projects,Ƶ Miller said. ƵI think itƵs necessary for us to keep up our capital funds, and debt service requirements, liquidity requirements, to maintain those funds, and itƵs necessary to implement that previously approved increase.Ƶ
A discussion about the established toll rate schedule and original bonds sold were also part of this discussion. Miller explained there was an expectation of bond holders that enough money be generated over the time period of the 30-year bonds which are set to retire in 2051.
ƵIn order to do that, an inflationary increase was previously approved to allow for the correct amount of revenue to cover the projects that are necessary to main the turnpike in good repair which is important to the bond holders,Ƶ Miller said. ƵThat process was covered on day one for the life of the bonds.Ƶ
Credit card payments
Miller said offering credit cards as a payment option on the West Virginia Turnpike was the last item of a larger toll system upgrade project, which is 90% completed. Drivers using the Turnpike can look for the credit card option likely to be available by January, which starts one of the slower travel seasons on turnpike, according to Miller.
Jeffrey A. Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, speaks before the Aug. 27, 2024 meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Dept of Transportation Accountability. The meeting was part of the August legislative interim schedule.
Ƶ Legislative Photography | Photo by Will Price
Once the credit card scanners are in place, each toll lane will be tested before theyƵre put into use. But using a credit card might not reduce your time at the toll booth, according to Miller.
ƵWe have performed an extensive amount of testing in a closed environment with these credit card machines, and it still does not prove to be faster than E-ZPass or cash,Ƶ Miller said.
He said that processing cash transactions takes between six and eight seconds, while testing showed credit card payments took around 12 to 16 seconds.
ƵEvery second ... counts when weƵve got these busy travel times. So going through there and using those credit cards ... ultimately will create some slowdown in traffic,Ƶ Miller said.
E-ZPass is the method of payment preferred by the Parkways Authority, with Miller describing it as the Ƶfastest, cheapest and most effective method of travelƵ on the turnpike.
Miller told committee members all lanes will be able to accept credit cards, just as they currently accept E-ZPass transponder payments. The toll worker will hand the machine to the customer so thereƵs no transferring of the card or dropping the card out the window.
The Parkways Authority is working with banks to speed up the processing of payments. And the toll booth transactions wonƵt require a choice of debit or credit options, allowing the payment to go through immediately. There is a processing fee with these transactions, but it will be paid by the Parkways Authority. Miller said this is similar to what already happens with the E-ZPass program.
Travel plaza upgrades
Also on the horizon are upgrades to the Beckley and Bluestone travel plazas. Miller said the combined total cost is $120 million, with Dec. 15 as an expected completion date for both projects.
ƵWe hope to be able to catch that Christmas traffic this year,Ƶ he said.
Beth Sergent is the political reporter. She can be reached at 304-348-2731 or email at bsergent@hdmediallc.com.
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