Thruway officials respond to DiNapoli toll hike report

Feb. 6—New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is calling on officials at the New York State Thruway Authority to pump the brakes on a proposed systemwide thruway toll hike.

DiNapoli released a report on Friday in which his office raised concerns about the proposal, saying the thruway authority should first improve its operations and maximize non-toll revenues before considering boosting tolls, as planned, beginning in 2024, with a second rate hike proposed for 2027.

According to DiNapoli, his office came to the conclusion following a review of a decade's worth of thruway authority finances. He said the report turned up what he described as "gaps" in essential information deemed "necessary to evaluate the proposal."

"The thruway authority's toll increase proposal comes at a time of extraordinary challenges for New Yorkers who are faced with rising costs for everything from food to shelter to gas," DiNapoli said. "The thruway should be more transparent with the public and disclose critical information, and identify and put in place all possible cost-savings and alternative revenue actions to minimize costs to drivers. Raising tolls should be the last option, and the thruway has more work to do."

In response to DiNapoli's report, a spokesperson for the thruway authority noted that the proposed two-tier toll increase proposal would be the first toll hike implemented by the authority in 14 years and that, even with the proposed increases, New York's thruway tolls would remain "some of the lowest in the nation."

"We believe this modest proposal will begin to raise additional revenue to support the long-term financial needs of New York's main transportation corridor and engine for economic activity," said thruway authority spokesperson Jennifer Givner.

In December, the thruway authority's board of directors began the process of implementing a multi-year toll hike plan, with the first hike scheduled for 2024. The toll increase, which would include tolls paid on local stretches of the state thruway system, including the Grand Island bridges, would be the first such increase in 14 years. The proposed rate hike plan would include a second toll increase in 2027.

The proposal is still subject to public hearings and final approval by the authority's board. If approved as recommended, the hike would be 10% for E-Z Pass users over a four-year period, including 5% in 2024 and another 5% in 2027. Pay-by-mail rates would also be increased to 75% percent higher than the E-ZPass rates under the proposal.

Authority officials say toll rate hikes are needed to fund future capital projects, including bridge and other infrastructure maintenance, meet debt obligations and continue to provide safe and reliable service to motorists.

Thruway authority officials contend that numerous improvements have been made to the cashless tolling system since it went online statewide more than two years ago, including enhancements to the Tolls by Mail website and new toll bills that are designed to help people avoid fees and better understand charges.

They also say that the authority has a lot of costly infrastructure to maintain, including 570 miles of highway with more than 2,800 lanes, 817 bridges and 134 interchanges.

They note that the authority's annual operating budgets have averaged less than 2% increases from 2010 to 2022.

The thruway authority also says that unlike other public agencies in New York, it is not supported by any federal, state or local taxpayer dollars and that tolls are the primary source of revenue for the entire operation.

"New Yorkers have two ways to pay for their highways — tax dollars or toll dollars. The Thruway Authority is operated and maintained solely as a user-fee system, and is not supported by any federal, state or local taxpayer funding," Scrivner said.

With the average thruway bridge now 55 years old and 75% of those bridges now more than 60 years old, authority officials say it is necessary to invest in infrastructure maintenance projects in the coming years.

"Our toll revenue continues to go directly toward making the thruway one of the safest highways in the nation," Scrivner said.