The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reminds motorists that toll rates are set to increase Sunday by 5 percent for both cash and E-ZPass customers. The new rates take effect at 12:01 a.m. Drivers can view rates at

http://www.paturnpike.com/toll.The increase is needed, in part, to fulfill the turnpike's obligation to the state to address a transportation-funding shortfall. Under Act 44 of 2007, the turnpike continues to make annual contributions of $450 million to PennDOT for off-turnpike transit and multimodal projects.To date, the turnpike has provided more than $4.5 billion in supplemental funding which has been invested in ground-transportation systems (including bridges and highways) across the state.The toll increase will also fund turnpike capital spending, focused largely on reconstruction and widening projects in which the turnpike is rebuilt from the ground up and expanded from four to six lanes.The turnpike invests more than $600 million a year in road and bridge improvements and presently has more than $1.6 billion worth of active construction projects underway.So far, the turnpike has rebuilt and widened more than 100 miles of its 550-mile toll system parts of which turn 75 years old in 2015.This will be the seventh annual toll increase needed under Act 44 of 2007. It is the first time since 2011 that E-ZPass rates have gone up by the same percent as cash rates.