NY Thruway Authority says 2024 toll increase is the “responsible approach”

Truckers who regularly traverse the Empire State will want to plan accordingly when it comes to tolls next year.

On Monday, Sept. 18, the New York State Thruway Authority’s Board of Directors approved a system-wide increase for all users beginning in 2024.

The Thruway Authority says it needs to increase tolls in order to fund repairs to an aging infrastructure. According to the agency, 75% of the 815 bridges on the Thruway are more than 60 years old. Currently, 85 bridges have been identified for replacement over the next decade, with a projected cost of $800 million.

“The toll adjustment creates a responsible, stable financial plan and ensures the Authority can meet its future capital and infrastructure needs,” the agency said in a statement.

At the start of the new year, the base rate for in-state E-ZPass users will increase by 5% outside of fixed-rate tolling points. A second 5% increase will take effect in January 2027. The agency said this will be the first toll adjustment for in-state E-ZPass customers in 14 years.

As for out-of-state E-ZPass and Toll by Mail users, the standard commercial rates will increase roughly 75% per mile for both groups by 2027. Despite the increase, the agency claimed the new rates “will remain below the current standard rates of many other systems across the nation.”

With the heaviest discounts being applied to NY E-ZPass users, it should be noted that an individual is not required to be a New York resident to open a NY E-ZPass account and receive the reduced rate.

“This change results in toll rates that are comparable with what other cashless tolling facilities charge nationwide,” the agency said in a statement. “Under this plan, the differential will not be applied to NY E-ZPass customers, making it the most affordable payment option available to all of our motorists who sign up for a tag.”

Originally proposed in Nov. 2022, the vote to increase tolls comes after months of scrutiny from state legislators and the general public. Joanne M. Mahoney, chair of the Authority’s board of directors, said the increase was necessary for maintaining the state’s tolled infrastructure.

“The toll adjustments approved today by the Board of Directors follow a year-long public process and represent a responsible approach to ensure continued investment in the 570-mile Thruway system for years to come,” Mahoney said in a statement. “The Thruway Authority receives no dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and relies primarily on toll dollars to maintain and operate the Thruway, which is one of the safest and (most) reliable toll roads in the country.”

In Dec. 2022, the board took the first step by voting to move forward with the toll adjustment process. Over the next several months, the agency conducted five public hearings on the matter, receiving 210 public comments.

In those comments, thruway users expressed concern over the timing of the increase given the rate of inflation and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Others questioned why a toll hike was necessary when toll collectors were eliminated, believing that should have led to a cost savings rather than an increase.

Comments from state legislators mirrored that of their constituents, with officials calling the proposed increase “outrageous” and saying the state should consider raising toll rates only as a “last option.”

On June 9, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sent a letter to the Thruway Authority’s board of directors opposing a rate increase, calling the proposed hike “excessive and discriminatory.”

“While OOIDA supports robust and cost-effective investment in infrastructure, we strongly oppose the discriminatory scheme you have proposed because it disproportionately affects small-business trucking, especially those domiciled outside New York who haul critical freight in or out of the state,” the Association wrote in a letter signed by President Todd Spencer. “Small trucking businesses, like those we represent, account for 96% of registered motor carriers in the United States, making them a key component of the nation’s supply chain.”

Despite the opposition, Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Frank Hoare said the increase will ensure the future success and usability of the Thruway.

“Today’s vote by the Board of Directors maintains some of the lowest toll rates in the country and fulfills the system-wide operating, debt service and capital needs for our financial plan,” Hoare said in a statement. “We’d like to thank individuals and industry representatives who attended the public hearings, those who contacted us expressing their opinion on the proposal, and elected officials for their feedback. This proposal was developed to ensure the safety and reliability of the Thruway by providing the Authority with additional revenue to meet our infrastructure and operational needs.”

To see how the rates will change in the upcoming year, the agency has provided users a toll calculator based on the 2024 prices, which can be found here. LL