Conservative Urge Thruway Board Members to Reject Toll Increase

Ft. Hamilton Station, NY – Conservative Party State Chairman Michael R. Long, released a resolution passed by the State Executive Committee on November 10, 2007, urging the NYS Thruway Authority Board Members to rescind the scheduled 10% increase and reject the second phase of toll increases.

"The upstate economy will bear the effects of another toll increase if the Thruway Authority continues to increase tolls on a road that is already experiencing less traffic due to increased gasoline prices and the expected downturn in the state's economy," Long stated. "To increase tolls at this time will hasten the downturn of commerce, instead, the Thruway Authority should be looking for ways to stimulate travel by good business practices," Long said. The full resolution follows:

Whereas: The safe transportation of the public and commerce on our public highways is a primary function of our government and government is required to be responsible in maintaining the states infrastructure;

Whereas: The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, is maintained by the NYS Thruway Authority and is the longest toll highway system in the United States whose original bond to build was satisfied in 1996;

Whereas: Governors and state legislators over the past 20 years have siphoned revenue from the Thruway Authority, in fact toll revenues in 2006 were $554 million while $331 million was spent on operating the thruway system;

Whereas: An increase of 10% is scheduled to take effect in January, 2008; and additional increases of 5% for 2009 and 2010 are being considered due to the downturn of toll collection and the requirement to rehabilitate the system;

Whereas: Any increase in tolls to be paid by commercial vehicles will only force commercial vehicles to pass on the additional costs to consumers or find alternate roads to travel decreasing thruway authority collections even further;

Whereas: Candidate Eliot Spitzer promised to revitalize upstate New York and to eliminate the tolls on the thruway in the Western area of the state;

Therefore: The New York State Conservative Party calls upon the Members of the Board of the Thruway Authority when it meets on November 19 to rescind the scheduled January 10% increase and reject further toll increases and to recommend that state politicians eliminate the unrelated expenses that they have burdened the Thruway Authority with in order to maintain the thruway's tolls at the present level and still maintain the safety of the thruway.

                                                                                                                                        Adopted November 10, 2007

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