The vote last week basically was to begin a process that’s going to unfold over the course of the next year. “It’s been 10 years since the last toll increase took effect on the Thruway. Howard outlines a timeline for the entire proposal. “We did that through the creation of a new resident discount program for residents of Westchester and Rockland County as well as an enhanced commuter plan that will continue to provide a 40 percent discount from the base New York E-ZPass rate going forward,” Howard says. Howard says the panel heeded input about keeping tolls as low as possible. The resident discount was something local lawmakers and area residents had been urging, including during a Toll Advisory Panel’s public listening sessions over the summer. “It would hold those rates through 2022 and, I believe, actually the projections are based on the notion that that rate would continue beyond that through 2024,” Howard says. State Thruway Authority CFO Matt Howard says the E-ZPass resident discount likely would stay the same for even a few years longer. “So we have a victory in finally having a residents’ toll freeze for the next couple years for Rockland and Westchester residents,” says Carlucci. Carlucci’s 38th District includes the Rockland side of the bridge. This comes less than one week after the Thruway Authority Board of Directors proposed new tolls for the Mario Cuomo Bridge, including a discount for Rockland and Westchester residents that would hold the current $4.75 E-ZPass rate through 2022. “And that’s what I find, that we’ve worked with many residents that have just fallen into a trap with cashless tolling and there are still many ways, I believe, that we can make it easier and better, a system that’ll work better for everyone.” And, at the same time, those that cannot get E-ZPass for whatever reason, we have to make it easier for residents to dispute tolls, to be able to get a hold of E-ZPass customer service when there’s a problem, and just make it easier and make sure that we’re giving the benefit to the toll payer and not to the toll collecting agency,” Carlucci says. “We have to work to get more residents into E-ZPass so they’re not hit with a rising toll. Democratic state Senator David Carlucci has been calling for such an advocate for a few years and says the Toll Payer Advocate offices are a great step in the right direction. It’s part of an effort to assist customers who are unable to resolve their toll problems using the Customer Service Center, and to recommend reforms as cashless tolling is implemented across the New York State Thruway by the end of 2020. The Thruway Authority, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the creation of Offices of the Toll Payer Advocate for customers of these tolling agencies. And Monday, the Thruway Authority announced the creation of the Offices of the Toll Payer Advocate. The New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors has approved a toll proposal for the Mario M.
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