Just Say No To Toll Hikes
To The Editor:

The New York State Thruway Authority is proposing another series of toll hikes, beginning this July. Now is not the time to be unnecessarily burdening New Yorkers with another hit on their pocketbooks- especially as we struggle to rebuild Upstate New York's economy.

Just a few weeks ago, my office completed a review of the Thruway Authority's toll proposal. Our audit found the Thruway has a long way to go before it can justify a toll hike.

Between 1959- when Eisenhower was president- to 2005, the Thruway increased its tolls just five times. Yet since 2005, the Thruway has already bumped up prices twice, including one last month, with plans to implement four more toll hikes through 2010.

Thruway officials contend they need the $520 million of additional revenue the hikes will generate to cover cash shortfalls attributed to a lower increase in traffic growth and greater use of E-ZPass discounts.

But before the Thruway looks to motorists for money, the authority should put its own fiscal house in order.

My office's review identified a number of concerns: the Thruway underestimates federal aid by about $29 million a year; Thruway officials have neglected to pursue more than $27 million of uncollected toll revenue; and the Thruway does not adequately prioritize its capital projects- there's approximately $160 million of non-essential, non-safety capital projects that could be delayed to save money.

It's easy to raise tolls, but the Thruway Authority should take a hard look in the mirror before it pushes another toll hike on New Yorkers. Toll hikes are not warranted until the Thruway examines its own spending. The Thruway is too important to the upstate economy to unnecessarily raise tolls and drive up the cost of everything from milk to heating oil, not to mention the impact on commuters. The Thruway manages the roads well, but it could manage its finances a whole lot better. Thomas P. DiNapoli New York State Comptroller