Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you want to avoid a 30% increase in toll rates across the New York State Thruway system, the easy answer is get E-ZPass.
During its board meeting, the NYS Thruway Authority approved a proposed toll increase of 30% for travelers who use the nearly 600 mile stretch of highway and don't convert to E-ZPass by 2021. The increase for non E-ZPass users is in conjunction with the shift to all cashless tolling across the system and also includes a $2 surcharge for mailed statements.
Toll rates through 2020 remain the same as an influx of money from the state budget was transferred into the Thruway Authority to offset costs.
The Thruway Board of Directors approved proposed the following changes to support the Thruway’s system-wide conversion to cashless tolling:
- With the conversion to cashless tolling in 2020, the standard NY E-ZPass toll rate will become the base toll rate and beginning Jan. 1, 2021, a 30 percent rate differential would be established for Tolls by Mail toll rates. Such differential toll rates have been standard practice among other systems that have converted to cashless tolling.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, establish a 15 percent rate differential.
- Clarify Board Policy that beginning Jan. 1, 2021, all transactions that are processed through a license plate image review will pay the Tolls by Mail rate.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, implement a $2 administrative surcharge per billing statement for Tolls by Mail statements to support the administrative costs associated with processing transactions through the Tolls by Mail program.
The toll hikes along the Thruway system are subject to the State Administrative Procedure Act and public hearings for SAPA will be conducted in 2020.
“The feedback from motorists about a potential toll adjustment has been essential in this process. We are committed to keeping tolls affordable, while providing the Thruway the necessary revenue for our capital needs”, said Authority Executive Director Matthew Driscoll.
