Talk of Toll Increase Comes as Thruway Authority Fails Prior Commitments for Upstate Improvements
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) is questioning the New York Thruway Authority’s motives for the recently announced 4-year, 20% increase in tolls for drivers traveling along the New York State Thruway. In a letter to Authority Executive Director Michael Fleischer, Congressman Higgins asks why the Authority hasn’t followed through with promised improvements along the Western New York stretch of thruway and suspects new toll increases would only be used to fund downstate mega projects like the Tappan Zee Bridge.
“When the Thruway Authority hiked tolls a year and a half ago they promised specific investments in WNY infrastructure, many of which have not occurred,” said Congressman Higgins. “I am amazed by the audacity of this Public Authority which has failed us already and yet they dare to propose a new money grab scheme on Western New Yorkers.”
The Thruway Authority increased tolls in May of 2005, basing the increase on the need to support a $2.6 billion statewide capital improvement plan. In the Capital plan released in 2004, the Authority promised to let $132.4 million in contracts in the Buffalo division in 2007. To date in 2007, the Authority has let $6,953,293.70 in contracts in the Buffalo Division.
The Authority is justifying the latest announcement of a proposed toll increase on revenue shortfalls. Higgins points out that in 2006, the first full year since the 2005 toll hike, the Authority planned to generate revenues of $602 million and actually generated revenues of $594 million, leaving a shortfall of just 1.4%, which is de minimis in the context of the overall Authority budget and does not justify a toll hike of 20%.
“Once again the Thruway Authority is trying to subsidize projects in wealthy New York neighborhoods with tolls from struggling upstate communities,” added Higgins. “They got away with this for too long as they unjustly collected tolls along the I-190 in WNY. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.”
Higgins suspects the Authority is proposing the increase to support work on the Tappan Zee Bridge which connects Rockland and Westchester Counties and is in need of rehabilitation work totaling near $2 billion.
September 25, 2007
Mr. Michael R. Fleischer, Esq.
Executive Director
New York State Thruway Authority
200 Southern Blvd.
P.O. Box 189
Albany, NY 12201-0189
Re: The Proposed Toll Increase and the Tappan Zee Bridge mega project
Dear Mr. Fleischer:
I read with great interest this morning’s report in the Buffalo News in which the Authority claims that toll revenues have fallen behind estimates and that this shortfall justifies the proposed new toll hike. I write today to indicate my strong opposition to this unwarranted increase.
The fact is, in 2006, the first full year since the 2005 toll hike, the Authority planned to generate revenues of $602 million and actually generated revenues of $594 million, leaving a shortfall of just 1.4%, which is de minimis in the context of the overall Authority budget and does not justify a toll hike of 20%.
The Thruway Authority is already shortchanging Western New York by failing to make the essential improvements and repairs which it promised in late 2004 in order to justify its 2005 toll hike. In the 2004 plan, the Authority promised to let $132.4 million in contracts in the Buffalo division in 2007. To date in 2007, the Authority has let $6,953,293.70 in contracts in the Buffalo Division.
I am concerned that part of the motivation for the proposed additional toll hike may be the exploding budget for the Tappan Zee Bridge mega-project. While the existing Tappan Zee Bridge is desperately in need of repair, and need for new capacity in that corridor is beyond doubt, taxing struggling upstate economies to subsidize a mega-project in some of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation is regressive taxation at its worst and is poor public policy.
Last year, the Authority awarded a $147 million contract for repairs to the span, but it is estimated that necessary rehabilitation of the span will cost a total of $2 billion. This is in addition to any costs which would be incurred building a new, additional companion span over the Hudson, which would cost between $9 billion and $14.5 billion, depending on which option is chosen.
If some of the wealthiest suburban communities in the nation need to fix an old bridge over the Hudson and need to build a new one, by all means they should proceed, but the Thruway Authority should not look to tax the struggling upstate economy to pay for this mega-project.
Additionally, please forward to my Buffalo Office the most current edition of the Authority’s multi-year capital plan. I make that request pursuant to federal FOIA and state FOIL laws.
Thank you for your attention to this correspondence.
Sincerely,
Brian Higgins
Member of Congress