Thruway Toll Hike Will Be Last Resort if NYS Comptroller Has His Way

By Mindy Cohn

In a report released on Friday, New York State Thruway Authority Comptroller Tom DiNapoli declared that increasing thruway tolls should only be done as a last resort. 

Although the NYS Thruway Authority board decided last year to establish the first toll increase for E-Z Pass customers since 2010,  including the tool for the Mario Cuomo Bridge,  the comptroller's recent report urges the NYS Thruway Authority to instead work to improve its operations. In this way, the NYS Thruway Authority should be able to maximize revenue rather than insisting on an increase of 5% in 2024 and an additional 5% in 2027  for E-Z Pass tagholders. 

Additionally, in an effort to encourage more drivers to apply for  E-Z Pass, tolls for non-users increased by 75%. 

"The Thruway Authority's toll increase proposal comes at a time of extraordinary challenges for New Yorkers who are faced with rising costs for everything from food to shelter to gas," DiNapoli says. "The Thruway should be more transparent with the public and disclose critical information and identify and put in place all possible cost-savings and alternative revenue actions to minimize costs to drivers. Raising tolls should be the last option, and the Thruway has more work to do."

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