From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – All 12 Oklahoma turnpikes now feature cashless tolling.
The last segments to switch to open-road tolling occurred on the Interstate 44/Will Rogers Turnpike corridor between Tulsa and the Missouri state line, and the state Highway 375/ Indian Nation Turnpike in mid-November.
Through early December, the Will Rogers cash lanes at the Big Cabin toll plaza will be open to traffic for nonstop travel to accommodate the larger volume of vehicles traveling through Oklahoma for the holidays. While motorists may travel through those cash lanes at Big Cabin, they will not have to stop to pay tolls but instead pay them online. Signage is in place alerting motorists to keep moving.
As part of the move to all electronic tolling with PIKEPASS and PlatePay, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority also launched a brand refresh of the PIKEPASS logo and of pikepass. com. Those visiting the website will find the updated logo, new colors enhancing the look and feel, improved navigation and content. The website platform is built on enhanced technology and is mobile responsive.
The PIKEPASS logo debuted in 1991 when the Turnpike Authority first launched all electronic tolling on the turnpike system.
This is the first update to the PIKEPASS brand in 33 years. The most striking change to the refreshed logo is its color scheme. Gone is the red that so many identified as vehicles stopping at cash toll booths. The logo is now a deep blue that transitions to green to convey to customers that they now will enjoy nonstop travel across the turnpike system.
The new logo will be updated in phases across the Turnpike Authority’s communications. It will be updated on turnpike signage only as signs need replacing for other reasons, such as age and condition.
PlatePay, the system replacing cash toll booths, helps create a free flow of traffic and eliminates sudden speed changes when motorists maneuver lanes to stop at a toll booth and then reenter high-speed traffic.
Eliminating these conflict points significantly increases safety on Oklahoma’s turnpike system, which saw more than 500 crashes at tolling booths in the six years prior to cashless conversion starting in 2021. This change also offers customers the ability to conveniently pay their tolls online and never be distracted by reaching for cash while driving.
The Authority began working on cashless tolling by testing it on a small section of the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa starting in 2017. By 2021 the John Kilpatrick Turnpike corridor in Oklahoma City was the first to convert to cashless tolling. The Authority accelerated its initial cashless conversion plan from 10 years to just more than four due to safety concerns for both motorists and employees. Overall, the conversion process cost nearly $60 million to complete.
PlatePay cameras photograph a vehicle’s license plate, enabling the Authority to send the vehicle’s registered owner an invoice for their turnpike travel. Motorists without a PIKEPASS will receive a bill in the mail or they may look up and pay their toll amount online at www.platepay.com approximately five days after traveling a turnpike.
PIKEPASS remains the most cost-effective way to travel Oklahoma turnpikes, providing customers the lowest toll rate. The toll tag also offers seamless travel on turnpikes within partner states, including Kansas, Texas, and some toll roads in Colorado and Florida.
To open a PIKEPASS account, visit PIKEPASS.com or call 1-800-PIKEPASS (1-800745-3727).