Seven part-time and 15 full-time toll collector jobs on the Ohio Turnpike are to be eliminated as the toll road fully automates tollbooths at four interchanges, including two in Fulton County.

The seven part-time employees affected by the automation of the Archbold (Exit 25) and Delta (Exit 39) interchanges and two others in northeast Ohio have received layoff notices, and a 20-day period has started during which they must choose between exercising seniority to “bump” less senior colleagues or leave turnpike employment, said Robin Carlin, the turnpike’s human resources director.

Meanwhile, among the turnpike’s entire full-time toll collector work force, volunteers for layoffs are being sought before notices are issued among the staff at the four affected toll plazas.

The latter will occur within two weeks if there aren’t enough volunteers, Ms. Carlin said.

Layoffs among the full-time collectors also would involve “bumping” rights by seniority, and no severance will be offered, she said.

Gary Tiboni, president of Teamsters Local 436 in Valley View, Ohio, said the layoffs are not a surprise in light of the Turnpike’s push to automate toll collection with E-ZPass and fare machines.

“We expected at some point in time, it was going to happen,” he said Friday, emphasizing that the Ohio Turnpike Commission was complying with the union’s contract by following system-wide seniority.

Motorists using the four interchanges, which include Exit 215 at Lordstown West and Exit 135 near Vermilion, will have to pay using fare machines at exit plazas if they do not have E-ZPass electronic toll transponders once the toll collectors there are gone, which is expected to occur by July 20. The toll machines accept cash and credit cards.

Two-way audio and video communications have been installed at the automated tollbooths to allow staff to provide assistance to motorists remotely.

The fare machines were installed in 2009 at 10 interchanges, chosen because of their relatively light traffic, as part of the turnpike’s toll-collection overhaul that also included setting up the E-ZPass system.

Exit 216, Lordstown East, previously had been converted to full automation, and midnight-shift toll collection is already fully automated at some of the others.

Last year, toll-takers’ wages accounted for about $17.2 million in turnpike payroll. The toll road currently has 235 full-time toll collectors and 226 part-timers.

The staff reductions are expected to save the turnpike at least $1 million annually in wages and benefits.

Dan Castrigano, the turnpike’s acting executive director, said the toll machines cost about $90,000 each.

E-ZPass, activated on the turnpike in October, 2009, now accounts for more than half of all toll revenue collected, and is used by 80 percent of trucks on the highway, Mr. Castrigano said.

About 40 percent of the turnpike’s car drivers use electronic tolling, especially regular commuters, he said.

The layoffs come about 18 months after the turnpike offered buyouts to toll collectors.

Forty-seven full-timers accepted $35,000 payments to resign from the toll road, while 79 part-timers took payments of $5,000 to $15,000, depending on their service time.

While turnpike officials said at the time that they hoped 40 full-time collectors would take the buyout, Ms. Carlin said this week that participation was inadequate to prevent the layoffs now.

“We made our attempt to reduce numbers, and we didn’t get where we need to be,” she said.

“We believed they had reached the goal,” Mr. Tiboni said, noting that the imminent layoffs are the first for Local 436 since it began representing turnpike workers nine years ago. “There are good people out there. They make a nice living, but they do a good job.”

Turnpike officials said there is no set schedule for further toll-booth automation, but it is “possible.” Other toll plazas with fare machines include Exit 13 near Montpelier, Exit 34 near Wauseon, Exit 81 near Elmore, Exit 140 near Amherst, and Exit 234 near Poland, Ohio.

Mr. Tiboni declined to predict how his union’s members will be affected by future automation.

“This is a start,” the Local 436 president said. “Who knows where it’s going to go?”

Contact David Patch at: dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.

First Published June 11, 2011, 4:30 a.m.