Assemblyman who led fight to stop 45% truck toll hike in 2012, warns Thruway Authority quietly eyeing 49% toll hike on motorists – just in time for the holidays
Here we go again! Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) today is sounding the taxpayer transparency alert on the New York State Thruway Authority which reportedly is secretly planning a whopping 49 percent toll hike on motorists who drive on the Thruway.
The Thruway Authority Board is planning on meeting on December 15th in Albany and up for consideration is the Authority’s budget which suggests a 5 percent toll hike in 2015 and another 44 percent toll increase by 2018.
In 2012, Tedisco successfully led the effort to stop the Thruway Authority dead in its tracks from passing a job-killing 45 percent truck toll hike. Tedisco held his own hearing in Albany on the truck toll hike after the Thruway Authority refused to do so after holding public forums in every other part of the state. Tedisco subsequently grilled the Thruway Authority Executive Director about the agency’s arrogance toward taxpayers and lack of accountability and transparency.
“It looks like the Thruway Grinch is once again scheming to steal Christmas from New York taxpayers by secretly eyeing a hefty 49 percent toll hike that will cause economic pain for the families and small businesses that depend on the Thruway for travel and commerce,” said Tedisco. “There’s no question a toll hike will lead to higher consumer prices and a significant, negative impact on local communities and local roads in terms of safety and wear and tear as more cars and trucks will drive on municipal roads to avoid the tolls.”
Tedisco is calling on the Thruway Authority to hold public hearings in the Capital Region and across the state on any proposed toll hike. He also is urging the Governor and Legislature to tap into the state’s $5.1 billion surplus before enabling the Thruway Authority to reach into taxpayers’ pockets to fund any Thruway budget shortfall.
“This is why we need to take the power to raise tolls out of the hands of these bureaucrats who are not accountable to voters and require members of the Legislature, who just went before voters, to approve any toll or fee increase as I have proposed (A.6153),” said Tedisco.
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