N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo Proposes Slashing Tolls for Thruway's Frequent Users
“The Thruway is a vital artery for commerce and transportation throughout upstate, so we are going to deliver major toll relief to New Yorkers,” Cuomo said during a Jan. 6 appearance in Syracuse. “We are going to reduce tolls for businesses and drivers who rely on it the most, eliminate them for farmers bringing their goods to market and freeze tolls for everyone else until at least 2020.”
Cuomo’s 50% reduction would apply to nearly a million business, farm and passenger vehicles, including 976 commercial trucks with an expected annual savings of $1,872.
The governor also announced $700 million in Thruway infrastructure spending, after last year’s $1.285 billion commitment, as well as a $22 billion multiyear capital plan to upgrade critical roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
The proposed capital program includes $1 billion to replace, repair and/or maintain at least 200 bridges and to pave up to 1,300 miles of New York’s roads. Cuomo’s plan also includes $500 million for disaster mitigation for roads that have traditionally been susceptible to flooding and other extreme weather-related events.
Kendra Hems, Executive Director of the New York State Motor Truck Association, was pleasantly surprised by Cuomo’s move on tolls but has some questions that she hopes will be cleared up when the governor unveils his budget Jan. 13.
“Four years ago, they wanted to raise tolls 45% only on trucks so to have them freezing tolls is definitely welcome news,” said Hems said, who questions why fewer than 1,000 trucks were included in those receiving lower tolls. “Are they looking at where the truck is registered? Are they looking at whether it has a New York State EZpass tag? And what happens after 2020? I’m concerned that this is a Band-Aid over a much larger financial problem within the Turnpike Authority. The Thruway was set up to be a fee-based user system. Clearly those fees are no longer supporting that system, so we’re taking state revenue to fund it. How long does the state have the money to do that?”
Tolls haven’t risen on the Thruway since 2010.
