ALBANY, NY — The New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved a toll “adjustment” on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and other tolling changes. The “adjustment” will go into effect Jan. 1, 2021. The New York State Thruway Authority only adjusts tolls upwards so “adjustment” means “increase”.
Passenger Car Toll Adjustment on Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
The passenger car toll adjustment for the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge includes:
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, increase NY E-ZPass rates by 50 cents to $5.25 in 2021 and 50 cents to $5.75 in 2022;
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the commuter discount rate will be 40 percent off the NY E-ZPass rate for passenger vehicles that opt into the program; and,
- A new resident E-ZPass plan will be offered for Westchester and Rockland County residents that will keep their rate flat through 2022.
The resident E-ZPass plan will be available for passenger vehicles with a NY E-ZPass and have a vehicle registered in one of these two counties.
Passenger Vehicle Toll Schedule — Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
Commercial Vehicle Toll Adjustment on Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
To reduce commercial congestion on the bridge when drivers ‘bridge shop’ for the cheapest crossings and create additional traffic, adjustments to commercial toll rates on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge will more closely align with other major crossings in the New York metropolitan area.
The NY E-ZPass rates for commercial vehicles on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will increase by 31 percent in 2021 and 30 percent in 2022.
For example, the toll for a tractor trailer with 5 axles and a NY E-ZPass account will increase to $55.77 during peak hours in 2022, compared to $90 at the George Washington Bridge. Even with the adjustment, the commercial toll rate on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in 2022 will still be 38 percent less than the toll rate on the George Washington Bridge.
System-Wide Changes
- The standard NY E-ZPass toll rate will become the base toll rate and a 30 percent rate differential will be established for Tolls by Mail toll rates.
- Clarify Board Policy that all transactions processed through a license plate image review will pay the Tolls by Mail rate.
- Implement a $2 administrative surcharge per billing statement for Tolls by Mail statements to support the administrative costs associated with processing transactions through the Tolls by Mail program.
“This is a modest toll adjustment balancing the needs for continued investment in our system while keeping tolls affordable for our motorists,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said. “We have not had a toll adjustment in 10 years and as we enter into a new era of modern transportation on the Thruway, it’s the right time both operationally and financially for this adjustment to occur.”
Analysis by the Thruway Authority’s independent traffic engineer in 2019 determined there will be additional revenues needed for the Authority to fulfill its system-wide operating, debt service and capital needs through the upcoming forecast period. Thruway tolls have not been “adjusted” since 2010.
In December 2019, the Board of Directors approved the proposal to begin the public process required to implement the toll rate changes supporting the fiscal stability of the Thruway Authority. Due to COVID-19, three virtual public hearings were held in October 2020, and more than 150 comments were submitted during the public comment period. Additionally, feedback received during listening sessions held by the Toll Advisory Panel in July 2019 were also considered in the proposal.
Motorists are encouraged to sign up for E-ZPass. E-ZPass is free and has payment options for all motorists including the Pay Per Trip plan, which deducts from your bank account only for the days you have toll usage. E-ZPass accepts multiple payment methods including money orders and pre-paid credit cards or linking a Tag to a credit card or bank account. More information on the various payment methods can be found here.
All drivers, regardless of residency, can sign up for a NY E-ZPass account at E-ZPassNY.com.
E-ZPass On-the-Go tags can be purchased at 26 Thruway Service Areas system-wide, more than 800 locations across the state including participating grocery and convenience stores and government offices, DMV offices, and AAA retail stores.