The Ohio Turnpike is considering doing away with gates and booths as a way to modernize its toll collections.
The future might involve no stopping and cameras taking pictures of license plates for billing.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned,” spokesman Brian Newbacher said Friday about potential options.
Turnpike officials launched an online customer survey this week seeking public feedback. You can find it at www.ohioturnpike.org.
The questions include how often people travel the highway, whether they use E-ZPass and whether they’d be interested in the license plate billing option and paying more.
The current collection system technology, installed in 2009, will need to be replaced or updated, Newbacher said, and the turnpike is planning for the future.
“At the end of the day, we want the best system for our customers at a reasonable cost,” he said.
The Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Cincinnati will analyze the customer responses and research alternatives before an option is presented to the turnpike commission by the end of this year or early next year.
The turnpike employs 202 full-time and 204 part-time toll collectors, and it’s unclear what could happen to those jobs with any changes.
Teamsters Local 436, which represents toll collectors, couldn’t be reached for comment.
The 241-mile toll road crosses northern Ohio from Pennsylvania to Indiana.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.