BUFFALO (WBEN) - Cashless tolling officially went live across the New York State Thruway system during the Friday into Saturday overnight hours, simultaneously taking place at 58 tolling locations.
Now on to the second phase of the transition - deconstruction.
"Saturday morning at 1 a.m., we had our successful conversion to cashless tolling system-wide across the state - it went seamlessly," said Matt Driscoll, head of the New York State Thruway Authority. "Now begins Phase 2, as you can see, with the removal of toll booths here at Williamsville and at Lackawanna. We'll be doing six major locations by the end of this year, and then of course the rest will continue throughout the course of the winter and into early summer months."
During the interchange reconstruction, drivers will continue to travel through existing toll lanes at reduced speeds without stopping until the booths are removed and road reconfigurations are complete.
"Cashless tolling is already improving traffic flow, allowing motorists to get to their destinations easier and quicker without having to stop to pay a toll," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
Motorists are encouraged to sign up for E-ZPass, the easiest and quickest way to pay tolls on the NYS Thruway. All drivers, regardless of residency, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass account at E-ZPassNY.com or by calling the E-ZPass Toll Free Customer Service Center at 800-333-TOLL (8655).
"Right now, about 77% of the customer base of the Thruway has E-ZPass, and we continue to message to people the importance of getting an E-ZPass," said Driscoll. "It's the best way to travel; it's the cheapest way to travel, and we encourage people to get an E-ZPass because starting in January of 2021, if you don't have an E-Zpass, and you use the toll by mail rate, then you will see a 30% increase in the toll by mail rate."
