NEW YORK, NY — The Thruway Authority today announced that cashless tolling for the Tappan Zee Bridge will begin in the spring and is encouraging drivers to sign up for E-ZPass. Cashless tolling, also known as all-electronic toll collection, allows motorists to pay their tolls at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping. They can pay either through E-ZPass or Tolls By Mail.
The new system was developed in conjunction with the New NY Bridge project, which is under construction and will replace the Tappan Zee Bridge.
“The New NY Bridge is being built to last more than 100 years without requiring major maintenance and will feature state-of-the-art technology,” said New York State Thruway Authority Interim Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Maria Lehman, P.E. “Cashless tolling builds on those advancements by making it safer and more convenient for drivers to pay their tolls. This technology, which is being used on many roads and bridges around the nation, will also ease highway congestion and help the environment by reducing idling.”
Tolls on the Tappan Zee Bridge, which carries the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) over the Hudson River and connects Rockland and Westchester counties, will be temporarily collected near exit 10 on the southbound Thruway in South Nyack using an overhead steel structure, high-tech cameras, sensors and related equipment. The system detects the class of the vehicle (passenger, tractor trailer, etc.), reads E-ZPass tags or photographs license plates. The system is in the final stages of field testing.
A video explaining how cashing tolling will work is now available on the New NY Bridge project website on its “Cashless Tolling” page – http://www.newnybridge.com/cashlesstolling/.
Motorists will be advised of the coming change through highway signs, signs at service areas, handouts at toll booths and Variable Message Signs along the Thruway.
Convenience and improved traffic flow are among the major advantages of cashless tolling. It also eliminates the need for vehicles to weave in and out of toll lanes, thus reducing the risk of accidents and delays.
Those with E-ZPass will experience no change in the way they pay their tolls.
To take full advantage of cashless tolling and save money, drivers are encouraged to sign up for an E-ZPass account at www.E-ZPassNY.com; at E-ZPass customer service centers; or at the New NY Bridge Outreach Centers in Tarrytown and Nyack. After the E-ZPass device is activated and attached inside their windshield, tolls will be automatically deducted when their vehicle passes under the toll facility.
E-ZPass is accepted in 16 states across the Northeast and Midwest. It also can be used to pay for parking at several major airports and provides toll discounts on other highways and bridges.
Tolls By Mail will be used to collect payment from those without E-ZPass.
High-resolution cameras above each lane at the cashless tolling gantry will take a photograph of the vehicle’s front and rear license plate to register the transaction. A toll bill will automatically be sent each month to the vehicle’s registered owner by U.S. Mail.
Once the system is activated, drivers can pay online at the Tolls By Mail website; by mail; over the phone; or in-person. They can pay by check, credit card, checking account or cash. Motorists will also be able to text **826 to quickly receive information about the Tolls By Mail website and payment details.
Shortly after cashless tolling at the Tappan Zee Bridge takes effect, the toll plazas in Tarrytown will be removed. Cashless tolling will relocate to the Westchester County side of the bridge after the New NY Bridge project has been completed.
In January, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced new penalties against chronic toll evaders. Those who fail to pay five tolls and associated charges resulting from violations on different days within an 18-month period will have their vehicle registrations suspended by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Thruway Authority previously announced that it will not increase tolls on the Thruway system, including the Tappan Zee Bridge, in 2016. In January, Gov. Cuomo proposed investing $700 million to freeze Thruway tolls until at least 2020. His plan would also cut tolls in half through tax credits for New York residents and businesses that drive the Thruway the most often.
Approximately 25 million toll-paying trips were taken over the Tappan Zee Bridge in 2015.
