Toll Increasing By 60% on Cuomo Bridge, Tolls Also Raised on I-87

The toll to cross the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is increasing significantly, while some tolls on I-87 are also increasing.

On Tuesday, 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 that support the statewide conversion to cashless tolling, which occurred on Nov. 14. The adjustment will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

“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, officials say. Thruway tolls have not been adjusted since 2010.

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.

Passenger Car Toll Adjustment on Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge:

• 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 program will be available for passenger vehicles with a NY E-ZPass and have a vehicle registered in one of these two counties.

Across the New York State Thruway, tolls will go up by 30 percent for non-E-Zpass users on Jan 1. Additionally, the Board of Directors approved changes to support the Thruway’s system-wide conversion to cashless tolling to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021:

• 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. Such differential toll rates have been standard practice among other systems that have converted to cashless tolling.
• Establish a 15 percent rate differential for out-of-state E-ZPass customers.
• 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.