The New York State Thruway Authority is turning to the federal government and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Volpe Center, a transportation and technology think tank, to try and streamline operations, at the same time it moves ahead with toll hikes that the state comptroller has been critical of.
And while commuters on Monday will still have to pay higher rates, eventually those tolls may not support a downstate airport or the State Police Thruway division as much as it does today, according to one authority board member.
Thruway travelers began paying more to use the highway system this Sunday. The second 5% toll increase in two years was approved this past spring, after an audit from state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said they should look at cuts rather than hikes.
The hike plan does not affect the Grand Island Bridge tolls, and the short hop between the Williamsville Toll Barrier and the Transit Road/Depew exit, but all other trips will cost more. The Thruway also raised tolls by 5 percent this past summer.
Donna Luh, a Depew resident who took a seat on the Thruway Authority board after the hike was voted in, says the increase is justified. State officials say the toll increases are needed to make needed improvements to the highway system.
In addition to running the toll road, the Thruway Authority operates the state barge canal system, runs Stewart Airport in Newburgh NY, and pays for the state police Thruway division. Luh says the airport funding and a look at things like a $50 million allocation for the state police, will be reviewed , as the Volpe Center, a federal DOT technology think tank, starts to evaluate operations.
Luh sits on the study committee working with Volpe. Luh's predecessor, Jeffrey Williams of Lewiston was the only board member to oppose the hike. His term ended in June.
Thruway Authority officials say with decreased ridership due to rising gas prices, the toll hike is required to fund repairs along the 641-mile-long toll road. A third toll increase is expected to raise another $40 million when it is implemented on New Year's Day 2010.
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