TARRYTOWN – The New York State Thruway Authority held the first meeting of its newly formed Toll Advisory Panel on Wednesday evening in Tarrytown.
The group has been tasked with reviewing toll rates, potential resident and commuter discount programs and commercial vehicle rates on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge at Tappan Zee.
During their initial meeting, the panel heard testimony from commuters, local politicians, and concerned residents who offered their perspective on potential toll adjustments. Though Governor Andrew Cuomo previously announced that the tolls are frozen through at least 2020, the Thruway Authority may soon alter the rates for the millions of commuters that depend on the bridge.
Assemblyman David Buchwald acknowledged the necessity of toll adjustments, but advocated for commuter discounts, arguing that those who use the bridge daily deserve a reprieve from any possible toll increase. He also urged the Thruway Authority to act transparently if they chose to increase the toll. He also supports a reduced rate for local residents.
“I would very much like to see a commuter discount for Westchester and Rockland residents, who use the bridge on a regular basis and often don’t have any alternative,” Buchwald said.
Wendy Kroner, a Rockland resident who commutes daily to Westchester for her job, expressed frustration that the panel would consider raising tolls while so many commuters are able to “dodge” tolls. Kroner said that she had observed a number of travelers who had painted over their license plates so that cameras responsible for recording and processing tolls were unable to do so. She urged the panel to crack down on that behavior before considering any kind of fair increase and suggested implementing a “tax break” for regular commuters.
John Cooney Jr., the executive director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley, vehemently disagreed. Cooney, whose organization represents the labor unions responsible for maintaining the bridge, believes a toll increase is completely necessary.
“Over time the cost of operating any kind of a system go up and tolls, which are the user fees, which is a fair way to apply the cost of using something, over time as costs go up, tolls need to go up to support and grow the serviceability of the Thruway,” Cooney said.
Assemblyman Tom Abinanti was critical of the panel during his remarks, first criticizing their choice in scheduling. “Given the importance of the discussion, I am really disappointed that the hearings are in the middle of the summer with one week’s notice and limited to only six hours.” He said commuters using the bridge were “subsidizing” the rest of the state Thruway system as bridge tolls are often used to fund repairs all along the throughway. The assemblyman called the practice unfair stating “I know of no other Thruway project where the costs are paid for by raising tolls in one location”. He suggested a more “equitable” system where each region of the Thruway pays for its own improvements with its own tolls, instead of using bridge toll money all across the state.
The hearings continue today at Nyack’s Time Hotel from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
