For Immediate Release: March 14, 2008

Thruway Authority Announces Statewide Public Hearings
Public Comments On Proposed Toll Adjustment Encouraged

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced that five public hearings will be held statewide, during the last week in March and the first week in April, to receive input from the public and interested groups on the Authority’s proposed toll adjustment and Multi-Year Capital Plan.

The Authority has begun the public review process governing the proposed toll adjustment. The Authority is seeking to incorporate many of the State Comptroller’s recommendations as it further considers the proposed toll adjustment. The Comptroller’s recommendations, along with the public’s input, will be used to develop a plan that preserves the safety of the highway and bridges thus maintaining high levels of safety and service for the Thruway’s users.

A sign-in period will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of each hearing, for people wishing to speak. Authority staff will be available to answer questions beginning at 6 p.m. Testimony will be taken beginning at 6:30 p.m. for those wishing to speak publicly. To allow everyone adequate time to participate, people wishing to speak at the hearing will be asked to limit their comments to five minutes, and are also asked to bring copies of their testimony. The Authority will also accept written testimony at the hearings for those who do not wish to speak publicly.

Public Hearings will be held according to the following schedule as published in the New York State Register on February 6, 2008:

Monday, March 24
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Colonie Town Library
629 Albany-Shaker Road
Loudonville, NY 12211

Tuesday, March 25
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203

Thursday, March 27
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
State Fair Grounds, Martha Eddy Room in the McNeil Art & Home Center
581 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY13209

Tuesday, April 1
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Monroe County Community College, Monroe B Meeting Room
Brighton Campus
1000 East Henrietta Road
Rochester, NY 14623

Thursday, April 3
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Palisades Center, Harry & Thelma Adler Room
1000 Palisades Center Drive
West Nyack, NY 10994

Directions to each location are available on the Authority’s website at www.nysthruway.gov/news/announcement.html.

Comments may also be submitted in writing to the Department of Public Affairs, New York State Thruway Authority, 200 Southern Boulevard, Albany, NY, 12209, or via email at Public.Comment@thruway.state.ny.us. The comments must be received by the Authority no later than April 10, 2008.

Relevant materials, including the report from Stantec, the Authority’s independent traffic consultant, the Comptroller’s Audit (Report 2008-S-6), and the proposed toll schedule are available for public review. These materials are also available at Authority Offices throughout the state, on the Authority’s website www.nysthruway.gov/news/announcement.html, at the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Region 4 Office in Rochester, and at the following public libraries: Colonie Town Library, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Robert P. Kinchen Central Library in the Galleries of Syracuse, Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County and the Nyack Library.

The Authority is moving forward with the regulatory process in accordance with the Sate Administrative Procedure Act, the State Environmental Quality Review Act, Section 2804 of the Public Authorities Law relating to financial disclosure by public authorities, prior to implementation of a toll increase and all other applicable laws and regulations. While the Authority is required to hold three public hearings, the Authority is holding five public hearings in Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and West Nyack in an effort to get as much feedback from the public as possible. The Authority plans to seek Board approval for any toll adjustment this Spring.

The locations of the public hearings are wheelchair accessible. Please provide any requests for specific accommodations for the hearings, including accommodations for the hearing impaired, by calling the Authority at (518) 436-2983 at least one week prior to a hearing.

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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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