Copy
August 2016 Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram
Customer Connection
In This Newsletter
VIDEO: Construction inside a major work zone
Don't be THAT driver!
Top 3 E-ZPass facts
Fair price fuel-ups
The Ohio Turnpike - A Better Way To Travel®

VIDEO: Get a glimpse into our $1.4 billion Pavement Replacement Program, occurring over the next 3 decades 

The Ohio Turnpike's Full-Depth Pavement Replacement Program is our largest capital improvement investment for the next three decades. It's necessary because:

1. The original base pavement on the roadway is more than 60 years old and beyond its useful life.

2. As pavement ages--it deteriorates--due to vehicle loading and environmental factors (freeze-thaw cycles, water infiltration, oxidation, etc.).

3. There is significantly more wear and tear on the road compared to 1955, when there were 39,000 vehicle trips per day. Today, there are approximately 146,000 vehicle trips per day.

The program, estimated at $1.4 billion over its life, will take until at least 2040 to complete. 

These work zones require drivers to slow down and observe the posted speed limit. Considering your safety and the safety of our employees, we hope you'll agree, it's worth the minor inconvenience.

Watch the 60-second video below to catch a glimpse of the action inside one of one of four pavement replacement work zones.

Randy Cole
Executive Director

Don't be THAT Driver! Move Over or Slow Down 

In 2015, there were 325 crashes in Ohio Turnpike work zones with 59 injuries and three fatalities. Given the importance of paying attention while driving in work zones, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Turnpike are teaming up to make distracted driving and speeding in work zones endangered habits.

Work zones vary in length from about 1/2 mile to as long as seven miles in length. If you slow down to 50 miles per hour in a 1/2 mile zone, it adds a mere 10 seconds to your trip. In a 7-mile zone, it adds only 2 1/2 minutes to your drive.

Fines are doubled for speed violations in work zones: $300 for the first violation, $500 for the second violation and $1,000 for more than two violations in a year. In 2015, troopers issued 1,584 citations in work zones. Don't be THAT driver--go the speed limit, don't drive distracted and you'll avoid a ticket.

The Top 3 facts customers don't know about E-ZPass®

One of the most surprising findings in a recent survey of E-ZPass customers is that nearly half don't realize that using E-ZPass actually saves them money. Here are the top three facts that customers don't always know about E-ZPass:

  1. Forty-eight (48) percent of existing customers don't realize cash tolls cost more than E-ZPass tolls. An E-ZPass customer may even pay up to 50 percent less on a single trip. The average savings for Ohio E-ZPass customers is 33 percent.
  2. E-ZPass transponders are easy to obtain. They're now available in retail locations at 90 northern Ohio Giant Eagle Stores, 72 Get Go Stores, 32 Discount Drug Marts, 18 Barney's (in northwest Ohio), select Ohio BMV locations and all Ohio Turnpike Service Plazas. The money-saving program is also available through our E-ZPass Hub on www.ohioturnpike.org. Tell your colleagues, friends and family members so they can share in the savings.
  3. E-ZPass is valid for use in 16 states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. E-ZPass is also accepted at all three bridge crossings of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. 

Marty Seekely
Chief
Financial Officer

Fuel up faster and at a fair price on the Ohio Turnpike

Customers on the Ohio Turnpike sometimes find themselves asking: "Do I stop for fuel at a Turnpike service plaza or do I wait to see if I can get cheaper fuel off the Turnpike?" According to Tony Yacobucci, the Ohio Turnpike's Chief Engineer, the decision is an easy one.

"The Ohio Turnpike's fuel pricing policy is designed to provide a fair and competitive value compared to fuel stops off the roadway," said Yacobucci.

In fact, Ohio Turnpike fuel prices are required to be within
3 cents of the average of nearby stations. More than 130 off-turnpike service stations and truck stops within five miles of the turnpike are surveyed for their prices three times per week. Surveys are completed by 1:00 p.m. and prices are changed at 3:00 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding national holidays).

Open 24 hours a day, there are separate fueling islands for both passenger and commercial vehicles. There's also the added convenience of a great selection of foods, clean rest facilities, pet walking areas and other amenities at the nationally recognized Ohio Turnpike Service Plazas.

Tony Yacobucci
Chief Engineer

Fueling up at a Sunoco fuel service island on the Ohio Turnpike is fast and fairly priced.
 

Sturgis Bike Week riders enjoy a break at Middle Ridge

The Ohio Turnpike's Middle Ridge Service Plaza in Amherst, Ohio hosted a Customer Appreciation Event for travelers on Aug. 5. Among them were motorcycle enthusiasts who made the Ohio Turnpike their road of choice to the76th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, an annual pilgrimage where thousands of bikers gather and tour the scenic Mount Rushmore State.

Riders on the Turnpike came from places as far away as New York and Boston and were more than glad to take a break to enjoy free samples from the Ohio Heartland Stores, HMS Host and $1 hot dogs from AVI Food Systems. Also participating was Interstate Towing and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which helped spread the message to "Look out for Motorcycles."

Motorcycle enthusiasts make the annual pilgrimage to Sturgis, South Dakota.
 

"You said it"-- a new feature starring you -- our customers

We often hear comments, good and bad, from our customers. This new feature debuts with the following feedback from Barbara of Grand Rapids, Michigan:

"My compliments to your customer service rep, Jessica! We lost or someone "borrowed" our transponder and when I called for a replacement, this lovely lady was pleasant, understood the issue and explained that the lost transponder would be turned off and a new one sent. The entire phone call took less than 5 minutes -including wait time! Your customer service reps should be cloned. Thank you!

“Your customer service reps should be cloned.”
--- Barb of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Trooper Ray T. Sommers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol's first Academy Class of 1933 sits atop an Indian Motorcycle, which was used by the Patrol until 1955.

Stay Informed in Real Time: Follow us on FB and Twitter

Stay informed on changing traffic patterns due to accidents, work zones and construction delays,
E-ZPass® updates and other Turnpike news by following us on Twitter and Facebook.

Copyright © 2016 Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have a past relationship with the
Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission.

Published by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission,
Randy Cole, Executive Director
Adam Greenslade, Director of Government Affairs, Marketing and Communications
Questions or suggestions? Contact Brian Newbacher, Editor, brian.newbacher@ohioturnpike.org.

Seal

Our mailing address is:
Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission
682 Prospect Street
Berea, OH 44017
440-234-2081

Unsubscribe from this list     Update subscription preferences