State comptroller says Thruway should do more to improve operations, cut expenses before hiking tolls

Thruway officials say the Covid-19 pandemic cost the agency millions of dollars in lost revenue and the only way to make up for it is to raise toll rates 5% on E-ZPass holders in 2024 and hike them another 5% in 2027. The increases would be even higher for Thruway drivers who don’t use E-ZPass.

However, DiNapoli said toll increases should be a last option for the agency.

“The Thruway should be more transparent with the public and disclose critical information, and identify and put in place all possible cost-savings and alternative revenue actions to minimize costs to drivers. Raising tolls should be the last option, and the Thruway has more work to do,” the comptroller said in a statement Monday.

The authority completed its implementation of cashless tolls in November 2020 but, as of 2022, had yet to report any cost savings or efficiencies produced as a result, DiNapoli said. In addition, he cited problems with erroneous bills and high fines that have incurred the ire of some cashless toll users, according to a comptroller’s audit of the cashless tolls program that was launched in April 2022 and is still ongoing.