As the Pennsylvania Turnpike Goes Cashless, Layoffs Loom

Cashless, automated highway tolling is ready to roll out on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

1 minute read

November 4, 2019, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Toll Road

George Sheldon / Shutterstock

"The Pennsylvania Turnpike is done with four years of testing and will move full speed ahead with a $129 million project to become a completely cashless toll system by the fall of 2021," reports Ed Blazina.

The cashless E-ZPass system is also automated, so the project will bring about the demise of 600 toll collector and toll auditor jobs in the system. According to Blazina, those workers "will have the opportunity to move into other turnpike jobs or take classes at the turnpike’s expense to begin a new career." Still, layoffs will be occurring once the system has been completely converted to cashless operations, cutting the number of employees working for the turnpike from 1,900 to 1,300.

Saturday, November 2, 2019 in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nilu Jenks wears a long gray coat and speaks with one man and two women outside.

Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember

Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.

November 8 - Reason

People sit on wooden benches on a bus in Miami

New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks

Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade homeowners $2,700 in 2028.

November 8 - Miami New Times

Two men install solar panels on the roof of a house.

Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms

The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.

November 8 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.