Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato partnered with the MTA to crack down on persistent toll violators at crossings into the Rockaways.
Courtesy of the MTA
After successful MTA crackdowns against persistent toll violators at the bridges and tunnels that connect Queens to Manhattan and the Bronx, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato initiated enforcement operations last month at the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge that links the Rockaways to the rest of the borough over Jamaica Bay.
The enforcement operation by MTA Bridge and Tunnel Officers primarily focused on interdicting drivers with suspended registrations due to unpaid tolls and fees, while looking for motorists who intentionally defraud the system by preventing their license plate or car registration from being recognized. Officers intercepted a dozen vehicles between Broad Channel and the Rockaway Peninsula which wracked up an estimated $150,000 in unpaid tolls and fines and some vehicles were not only ticketed but confiscated and impounded, according to Pheffer Amato.
“This partnership for combating toll evaders is incredibly welcomed in our community and I am so proud to be working with the MTA and TBTA Officers,” Pheffer Amato said. “This sends a clear message that anyone who deliberately scrapes their license plates, uses deflectors and covers, or false paper plates will be found and held accountable for paying tolls and following the law like everyone else.”
She added that she has partnered with NYS Troopers, TBTA Officers and local police in numerous operations to go after toll evaders since cashless tolls took effect at the Cross Bay Memorial Bridge in April 2017. Pheffer Amato also said there will be several surprise interception operations at the span in the coming months.
“We are proud to work alongside Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato on Cross Bay Bridge toll enforcement,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels Interim President Catherine Sheridan. “The revenues collected from these tolls…
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