A New York State Senator is fighting the Thruway Authority’s plan to add 30% to select toll bills.
At this point, rates will increase by 30% for drivers who don’t use the E-ZPass system. The state spent a lot of marketing energy over the last year working to transition drivers, as cashless tolling became a fixture along the interstate.
However, Senator Jim Tedisco called the practice ‘discriminatory’. The issue stems from the need for a credit card, according to the Senator, who says those who don’t have access to a credit, debit, or bank account would be left without a payment option.
That said, the Thruway Authority told us earlier in the year, when a number of hearings were held on the topic, that there was good cause for toll increases. First, a spokesperson for the Thruway Authority contended that it’s been a number of years since the last toll hike. Second, that spokesperson said that there were other options for paying E-ZPass.
The plan is expected to be approved at a meeting on December 1st. It would take hold at the start of 2021.
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