The last thing our working families need, especially as inflation impacts many people’s ability to pay for basic necessities, is another toll hike. And yet, the state Thruway Board of Directors recently voted to increase tolls by 5% for New York E-ZPass customers and up to 75% for out-of-state E-ZPass drivers and those who pay tolls by mail.^[1] After reading the recent report issued to me by Comptroller DiNapoli, the Thruway Authority Board of Directors should immediately withdraw this outrageous toll hike proposal that will only hurt hardworking families, especially here in the Capital District where so many use the Thruway to commute to work daily. Just as past audits of the Thruway Authority found consistent issues with the Thruway Authority’s spending practices and lack of long-term financial planning, this report is no different – which is the first since the conversion to cashless tolling was completed.

The report found that the Thruway Authority’s conversion to cashless tolling was poorly rolled out, and drivers have often received erroneous fines and bills. This change has failed to save anyone the time and money that was intended despite cutting 1,100 jobs. Additionally, the Authority’s outstanding debt is projected to rise to $419 million by 2031, reflecting its short-sighted debt management choices. In this report, the Comptroller urged the Thruway board to explore other revenue options, such as federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to mitigate the need for toll increases. As the Thruway Authority reckons with the cost of its poor financial choices, hard-working people in the greater Capital Region and beyond shouldn’t have to pay the price.

I’ve been fighting this outrageous proposal every step of the way, just as I have done in the past. In 2012, I fought a proposed 45% hike on large trucks. In 2017, we successfully kept a proposed hike plan out of the Thruway’s budget. I hope that together we can stop this proposal from being implemented as well. I encourage you to join me again to stop this proposal from being implemented by signing my online petition at nyassembly.gov/Santabarbara. As always, I want to hear from you. If you have any questions about this or any other issue impacting our community, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 518-382-2941 or send me an email at SantabarbaraA@nyassembly.gov.

[1] thruway.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2022/12/2022-12-05-toll-adjustment-process.html#:~:text=Beginning%20on%20January%201%2C%202024%2C%20the%20fixed%20toll%20rate%20at,passenger%20vehicles%20will%20be%20%247.75