JENKS, Okla. (AP) - A new pilot program will allow cash customers to drive through the Creek Turnpike in Jenks without having to stop at tolls.
The electronic billing program created by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority begins Thursday, The Oklahoman (https://bit.ly/2j5ELuE ) reported. If successful, it could be expanded to other turnpikes. The Creek Turnpike is at the Peoria Avenue/Elm Street interchange, and is often used by drivers to go to the nearby Oklahoma Aquarium.
Cameras will take pictures of drivers’ license plates along the turnpike, and monthly bills will be issued. But the toll will double to $1.60 for customers without a Pikepass, in an effort to persuade those drivers to sign up for the pre-paid toll pass. The toll for Pikepass customers will increase to 75 cents, 10 cents more than what they were paying before. The rest of the turnpike system will see the Pikepass increase starting Feb. 1.
OTA spokesman Jack Damrill said Pikepass customers make up almost 90 percent of vehicles going through the Creek Turnpike.
Damrill said safety is a major reason for the program, citing rear-end collisions that occur when cars stop in lines to pay tolls. He also said toll machines frequently break down and drivers often can’t find the right amount of change to give.
“All-electronic tolling is the wave of the future,” Damrill said. “Whether we can go system-wide - we don’t think so, but maybe we can do it more in the urban areas.”
Non-Pikepass customers under the new system can pay by check or credit card, or go to a PayNearMe site if they prefer to continue paying cash.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, https://www.newsok.com
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