Q&A: OTA Executive Director Explains Rate Increases, PlatePay, & Future Turnpike Projects

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) is planning toll increases to support infrastructure improvements across the state.

Related Story: Drivers React To Toll Rate Increase On Oklahoma Turnpikes Beginning In 2025

In an interview, OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle shared details about the reasons for the increases, their impact, and the goals of the Access Oklahoma program.

Why is the OTA increasing tolls?

OTA said the extra revenue will fund projects under the ACCESS Oklahoma Turnpike Plan, which is now estimated to cost over $8 billion which is roughly $3 billion more than initially planned.

"The Turnpike Authority is only funded through tolls," Echelle explained. "We don't receive any state tax dollars or motor fuel tax for funding. So when the Turnpike Authority takes on a major program like Access Oklahoma, enhancing our network and adding reliever routes, the only way to pay the bonds is through a revenue increase."

How Much are the Toll Increases, and When will they Take Effect?

Oklahoma drivers will see a 15% increase in tolls across all turnpikes, with an additional 6% hike scheduled every two years beginning in 2027.

"This toll increase is 15% on average," Echelle said, noting it varies depending on the road and the improvements made under Access Oklahoma. The increase will take effect on January 1, 2024. Additionally, Echelle mentioned a proposed 6% increase, to be reevaluated annually based on necessity.

"What we've been tracking is about two and a half to 3% on average, you know, somewhere in that neighborhood annual inflation. So we're proposing a 6% that's what we're assuming today. We will re-evaluate that every year as it approaches that toll increase to see whether it's necessary at all or exactly what that number needs to be. We think 6% is a conservative number. We wanted to go ahead and tell everybody what we were doing now, just to make sure that everybody understood this toll increase that we're doing today, the 15% that will go into effect on January 1 is not the last, but, but that, we projected it'll be 6% every other year after that," said Echelle.

Toll Increases by Route:

1. Turner Turnpike (Tulsa to Oklahoma City): Pikepass rates increase by 90 cents.
2. Will Rogers Turnpike (State Highway 266 to the state line): Rates rise by 82 cents.
3. Muskogee Turnpike (I-40 to Tulsa): Tolls go up by 50 cents.

Drivers using Plate Pay will face even higher costs.

How Does PlatePay and Out-of-State Drivers Factor Into OTA's Toll Collection?

Echelle outlined how the agency is transitioning its toll collection system to reduce costs and increase efficiency while encouraging drivers to adopt Pikepass or interoperable transponders.

Current Toll System Breakdown:

1. 90% of Transactions: Currently handled via Pikepass or interoperable transponders from Kansas, Colorado, Texas, or Florida.
2. 5% Goal Increase: By 2025, OTA plans to integrate EZ Pass, covering the East Coast and northeastern U.S., pushing toll tag usage to 95% of all transactions.

Echelle noted that Platepay, which involves taking photos of license plates and billing drivers without transponders, constitutes a small portion of transactions but is significantly more expensive.

Billing Process for PlatePay: After capturing an image of a vehicle's plate, OTA must:

1. Decode the plate (automated and human-reviewed).
2. Purchase lookup information from other states.
3. Print and mail invoices (including costs for paper, envelopes, and postage).
4. Handle follow-up statements for unpaid tolls, repeating the costs.

Echelle said that when it comes to payment compliance, only 60% of payments are received after the first invoice.

What is the Access Oklahoma program, and how long will it last?

"Access Oklahoma is a 15-year long-range plan announced at the end of 2021," Echelle stated.

The program includes widening key turnpikes such as the Turner Turnpike to Oklahoma City and the Will Rogers Turnpike to Claremore, as well as upgrading interchanges across the state. (AccessOklahoma.com)

"We're in 2024 now. So three years have passed since that announcement, and so we've got 12 years to deliver, and included in that, especially for the Tulsa area in particular, are the widening of the Turner Turnpike all the way to Oklahoma City, the widening of the Will Rogers Turnpike, that section of I 44 up to Claremore.

Key Features of the Program:

Turner Turnpike (Tulsa to Oklahoma City)

1. Widening to six lanes.
2. Replacing and rehabilitating old pavement.
3. Construction in segments (5–8 miles) to minimize disruptions.

Will Rogers Turnpike (I-44 to Claremore)

1. Widening due to congestion.
2. Interchange improvements.

Creek Turnpike (Bixby/Broken Arrow Area)

1. Rehabilitation of Hakee Creek bridges to smooth bridge decks.

Kilpatrick Turnpike (Oklahoma City)

1. Widening the state's busiest turnpike (up to 90,000 vehicles daily).

Indian Nation Turnpike and Muskogee Turnpike

1. Pavement restoration and additional interchange work.

Current and Upcoming Projects:

1. A new interchange east of Bristow is set to open in the coming weeks.
2. Ongoing projects at Welton and Stroud to enhance safety.
3. Sequential construction on the Turner Turnpike, starting at Oklahoma City and extending eastward.

Goals For OTA:

1. Addressing congestion and improving road safety.
2. Modernizing infrastructure to meet current and future demands. (Removing Some Left-hand exits)
3. Completing major work on the Turner Turnpike within the next 10 years.

Echelle said this phased approach balances construction efficiency with minimizing inconvenience to drivers.

Why are there left-hand exits on some Oklahoma turnpikes?

"I have no idea how we got here on that piece," Echelle admitted, speculating that rapid development and constraints in the 1970s led to the design.

"If I had to guess, this would be a guess. But Oklahoma is a young state as it relates to infrastructure. You know, other states had paved roads well before we had paved roads in Oklahoma. And so what, what I think is, is that we had a lot of we weren't building roads in the middle of nowhere. Things were developing quickly. We were growing really fast. The metro areas, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Guthrie, at the time, Muskogee, these cities were growing really fast. And so we couldn't get the roads to fit. And so when they, when we finally did, get around putting in these big interchanges, which were mostly done in the 70s, I think the only way we could get them to tie without impacting the neighboring property owners that were all developed. They weren't built in fields. They were being built around businesses. You had to make a left-hand exit. So I think that's what contributed to a lot of that. The Federal Highway standards for interstates, they don't like left-hand exits, so we try to convert everything to a right-hand exit. You'll notice that with the US 75 I 44 interchange that's out here, they're putting everything in his right-hand exit. So that's trying to be standardized in our state," said Echelle.

The OTA's toll increases aim to fund crucial upgrades, ensuring Oklahoma’s turnpike system meets the needs of its growing population and economy.