For Immediate Release: November 8, 2007, 4:10 p.m.

Thruway Authority's Audit & Finance Committee Recommends Reducing Discounts, Implementing Incremental Toll Increases to Preserve Capital Improvement Plan
Ensures Necessary Funding for Highways and Bridges, Minimizes Commuter Impacts

The New York State Thruway Authority’s Finance and Audit Committee today approved a resolution to recommend to the Authority’s Board a phased-in plan to protect the safety of its roads and bridges by preserving the Authority’s $2.1 billion highway and bridge improvement plan. The recommendations also address the Authority’s out-year funding gaps through cost-containment, including further reducing full-time staffing positions, and incremental actions to increase revenue.

The Authority is in the midst of delivering its 2005-2011 $2.1 billion highway and bridge improvement plan which will enable the Authority to rehabilitate or resurface nearly 500 lane miles and replace, rehabilitate or provide preventative maintenance of nearly 200 bridges along the Thruway, and bring Highway Speed E-ZPass to specific locations along the System.

High gas prices and more frequent price spikes have resulted in a national trend of reduced travel. The Authority’s independent traffic engineer, Stantec Consulting, has recently revised downward its previous projections of traffic growth along the Thruway, resulting in out-year gaps in the Authority’s Multi-Year Financial Plan.

Without taking action to address these out-year gaps, the Authority would be forced to significantly reduce its capital investments or drastically reduce its highway operations, jeopardizing the Authority’s high standards of safety and service.

The plan will enable the Authority to meets its goals of maintaining and operating the highway, delivering high levels of safety and service and implementing the capital program.

The Authority is still moving forward on its longer term goals to revolutionize its relationship with its customers by enabling its customers to not have to slow down to pay their toll, and providing real time traveler information directly to Thruway users.

By the end of 2007, the Authority will receive bids on a contract to convert the current Woodbury Barrier to the Authority's first non-stop toll collection location for both passenger and commercial vehicles (a.k.a. Highway Speed E-ZPass).

In addition, the Authority will shortly release a framework for providing non-stop tolling for E-ZPass users that would allow the Authority to reduce the number of toll collection points and relocate them from interchanges and onto the mainline. Maximizing electronic toll collection would allow for safe and feasible non-stop trips across the Thruway system, while significantly reducing the Authority's operating costs.

By the end of 2008, the Authority will fully activate its Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS). The ATMS will enable the Authority to provide traveler information to its customers within minutes. Dynamic Message Signs, Highway Advisory Radio, direct email notifications, messages at Thruway Travel Plazas, and updated website information will all be delivered simultaneously so that travelers on the Thruway will quickly and conveniently have the most up-to-date information. Currently, all these applications are done separately and it can take nearly an hour to complete the dissemination process during an incident.

The recommended plan includes a 10 percent increase in cash rates, effective January 2008, as previously approved in April 2005, implemented in May 2005; establishes an E-ZPass discount of 5 percent off the cash rates for both commercial and passenger vehicles in June 2008; and provides for incremental 5 percent general toll increases in 2009 and 2010 (see attached Comparing Passenger (2L) Toll Rates & Comparing Commercial (5H) Toll Rates charts).

When fully implemented, the average passenger trip (2L), with E-ZPass, will increase approximately one-cent-per-mile. When fully implemented, the most prevalent commercial vehicle on the Thruway (5H) will see, on average, a four-cents-per-mile increase in tolls.

The recommended plan would have less of an impact on commuters who rely upon the Thruway for their daily trip to and from their place of employment. Under the plan, the annual mainline commuter permit plan which provides free trips of 30 miles or less, would remain at $80 annually (where it has been since 1988) until 2009 when it would increase to $84 and then to $88 in 2010. Additionally, the Authority’s staff is looking at ways to provide a semi-annual mainline commuter permit plan to commuters.

Commuters who use the Thruway’s bridges or barriers on frequent basis (Grand Island, Yonkers, Harriman, Tappan Zee, and New Rochelle) would also see pennies per trip increases, but not until 2009 and 2010. In addition, while the Tappan Zee Bridge cash toll would increase one dollar to $5.00 per round trip, commuters would still be eligible for a $2.00 discount.

In an effort to encourage the use of environmentally friendly vehicles, the plan retains a HOV discount (Tappan Zee Bridge Carpool Commuter Plan) and a 10 percent additional discount for vehicles with high fuel efficiency and super ultra low emissions (Thruway Green Pass Discount Plan).

The plan assumes that the Authority’s move towards highway speed E-ZPass will require the discontinuance of special commercial vehicle discount programs, but preserves the Commercial Volume Discount Program.

Stantec has evaluated the recommended plan and has concluded that the operational and revenue toll adjustments being proposed will provide sufficient resources to preserve the Authority’s Multi-Year Capital Program, ensuring that the operational and structural integrity of the Authority’s facilities will be maintained. Stantec has further concluded that traffic losses resulting from the proposed toll adjustment will be small.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To hear an audio sound byte, pre-recorded by Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael Fleischer, please call 1-866-239-2845 and select the “Thruway” option.

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The Authority offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway. To sign up for the TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Authority's website at www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.

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