Do you consider yourself a “scofflaw” or are you one of those who complies with traffic legislation by the book? The State of New York is going through a series of turmoil regarding the cashless toll collection system, as thousands of drivers refuse to comply with these measures and are implementing different methods to evade these systems in New York City. Complaints are emanating from the State Capitol from officials and legislators, who threaten to tighten measures and penalties for those who intentionally avoid payment systems.
In her statements, Governor Kathy Hochul has gone so far as to compare toll evaders to the criminal behavior in New York City. According to data from the New York State Thruway Authority, toll evasion is particularly notable in the northern part of the state. The spokesperson for the Thruway Authority, Jonathan Dougherty, stated that the agency had experienced losses of $166,000 due to ‘non-billable’ transactions stemming from the use of fake plates. For her part, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate majority leader, stated that the level of evasion is concerning, as well as the attempts by the population to avoid paying tolls.
The director of state studies for the fiscal oversight group Citizens Budget Commission, Patrick Orecki, stated that this type of behavior from the public complicates the work of the Thruway Authority and reduces its budget. The president of the bridges and tunnels division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Cathy Sheridan, stated that the number of ‘non-billable transactions’ due to the use of unregistered plates has significantly increased since 2019. It is more than evident that the population does not accept or share the imposed method, and not only do they evade tolls, but they also come up with ways to evade security cameras, red lights, and speed traps.
What is happening in the State of New York?
One of the main issues that legislators and state officials inside the Capitol are grappling with has to do with the implementation of cashless toll systems. Leaders like Gov. Kathy Hochul have gone so far as to compare toll violators in their statements to the criminal behavior on the streets of New York. In light of this situation, where citizens are evading electronic payment systems with very creative and sophisticated measures, the Governor has proposed new measures. She suggests the possibility of increasing the penalties for violating tolls, allowing police to arrest drivers who use devices to commit license plate fraud, and raising fines up to $500 for license plate obstruction.
How do these violations affect?
According to data from the New York State Thruway Authority, more than $40 million were lost last year due to unpaid tolls. The Thruway Authority spokesman, Jonathan Dougherty, mentioned that transactions considered ‘unbillable’ resulted in a revenue loss of $166,000, increasing in 2023 to a figure of $407,000. According to Mark Muriello, director of the Washington, D.C.-based International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association, “there are already robust guardrails in place to protect motorists who feel they have been overcharged or are looking for a way to resolve thousands of dollars in fines”.
How do drivers avoid tolls?
When people do not pay their tolls, there is a hole in the Thruway Authority’s budget, and it cannot do the work it needs to do, or it has to raise tolls for everyone else to be fully funded,” said Patrick Orecki, the director of state studies for the fiscal watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission. For her part, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Senate majority leader, expressed her concern about the public’s behavior regarding this measure, “The level of toll evasion is concerning for everyone.
The fact that people are being extremely creative to avoid paying tolls is disturbing.” And in fact, the methods being used are very sophisticated and creative. Remote-controlled blockers or magnetic sheets operated at will, scratched digits, or the most homemade ones, unregistered plates have been detected.