Local News

Oklahoma will say goodbye to its last toll booth before Thanksgiving

KOSU | By Luisa Clausen

Published November 11, 2024 at 5:00 AM CST

The Kirkpatrick Turnpike on the north side of Oklahoma City. — Oklahoma drivers will drive under a reader that registers their PIKEPASS or records their license plate instead of stopping at cash tolls.

Oklahoma Turnpikes will all be cashless by Nov. 20.

The changes started in 2021 when the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority launched the PlatePay program and began removing toll booths across the state.

All the booths on the Indian Nation Turnpike in southern Oklahoma have been removed and replaced with PlatePay readers. Next up is the Will Rogers Turnpike in far northeast Oklahoma, where drivers will trade cash tolls for bills in the mail or online.

OTA spokeswoman Lisa Shearer-Salim said that cash toll booths have contributed to vehicle crashes, with 500 incidents over the past six years caused by drivers not slowing down quickly enough. Now, drivers won’t have to stop. Instead, they’ll drive under a reader that registers their PIKEPASS or records their license plate.

“It's ultimately a change to help make travel more safe, efficient and reliable for those customers who choose to use turnpikes, and we want to give them the best toll rate possible,” Shearer-Salim said. “PIKEPASS is the best way to do that.”

Shearer-Salim said in addition to the safety risks they pose, cash toll booths require extensive maintenance. The costs include provisions for storm shelters, amenities, electricity and safety measures for employees. She added that just 10% of OTA’s customers used cash tolls, contributing to less than 2% of the agency’s total monthly revenue.

Instead of scrounging up change at a booth, drivers will pay through their PIKEPASS account or receive a bill mailed to the address associated with their license plate. PIKEPASS users will pay a lower rate than those who default to PlatePay.

“We just would encourage motorists to plan ahead and to check that they have their PIKEPASS toll tag in place, properly installed and that they have their license plate listed on their PIKEPASS account online to ensure they are always receiving the lowest toll rate,” Shearer-Salim said.

The toll tag enables drivers to use turnpikes in partnership with OTA in states like Kansas and Texas, as well as certain toll roads in Colorado and Florida.

Oklahoma drivers can visit PIKEPASS’s website or call 1-800-PIKEPASS to open a PIKEPASS account. They can also visit PlatePay’s website to learn more about the cashless tolling system.