Just Jack Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20121007/NEWS01/310070036/-35M-lost-N-Y-Thruway-tolls?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1 ALBANY As the state Thruway Authority considers a 45 percent toll increase on trucks, more than 1 million drivers between 2007 and 2011 avoided paying tolls and dodged $35 million in charges and fines. Records reviewed by Gannett’s Albany Bureau through a Freedom of Information request show that the beleaguered Thruway Authority’s finances have been hurt by its inability to recoup tolls and fines from people who zip through EZ-Pass lanes scot-free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I thought that's what the State Trooper cars on the other side of the tolls were for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Must not be real Americans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Must not be real Americans. Definitely not economic patriots. Must be 47% of the traffic on the Thruway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Man Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Must not be real Americans. In NYS - 60% democrats - 33% Republicans just throwing it out there............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 In CA, FastTrak (CA's EZ Pass), If you go through without paying (no pass) or no$ in the account, it takes a picture of your plate and sends you a bill. For the Golden Gate Bridge, they plan on taking out the booths and using cameras to bill you. On the newest bridge, they have a system that will read the transponder if you go through the area with no booths under 40 mph. They also use your transponder to determine speeds on the highway along with the buried coils, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 In CA, FastTrak (CA's EZ Pass), If you go through without paying (no pass) or no$ in the account, it takes a picture of your plate and sends you a bill. NY does the same, but why they aren't collecting who knows. I know I've gotten a bill one time when for some reason it did not pick up my tag. A quick trip to the local EZ Pass office with my toll history showing the day and where I entered, but no record of me leaving, and the letter and it was cleared up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeYouToTasker Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 My first guess would be the bureaucratic and logistical nightmare it must be to try and process the sheer volume of scofflaw fines in sn antiquated government system that didn't account for this particular eventuality when it was designed. And nevermind the man power for processing, how about the traffic court backlog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 NY does the same, but why they aren't collecting who knows. They aren't collecting because the laws do not allow them to collect. If a car goes through a electronic toll without paying, the state sends a bill to the car owner. But under motor vehicle law, the driver is liable for violations, not the vehicle. The state would have to prove who the driver is, and that cannot be done by the license plate cameras. They can take away the EZ Pass, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badasss Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 They aren't collecting because the laws do not allow them to collect. Can't they preclude the owner from reregistering the car? If a car goes through a electronic toll without paying, the state sends a bill to the car owner. But under motor vehicle law, the driver is liable for violations, not the vehicle. The state would have to prove who the driver is, and that cannot be done by the license plate cameras. They can take away the EZ Pass, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinga Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Good..... I'm glad some people are fed up with paying tolls.... Look, I'm not gonna linky, y'all know how google works, but when 90 was built, the tolls were supposed to be temporary, only long enough to pay for the construction. This is now what??? 50??? 60??? years later? And now they keep it up there for maintenance and upkeep, right?? Folks, maintenance and upkeep for roads, is why we pay fuel, license, oil, tire, excise, registration, etc fees isn't it? Heck, get rid of the toll takers, the toll booths, and THEIR maintenance and upkeep and maybe the "thruway" can become a "freeway"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Good..... I'm glad some people are fed up with paying tolls.... Look, I'm not gonna linky, y'all know how google works, but when 90 was built, the tolls were supposed to be temporary, only long enough to pay for the construction. This is now what??? 50??? 60??? years later? And now they keep it up there for maintenance and upkeep, right?? Folks, maintenance and upkeep for roads, is why we pay fuel, license, oil, tire, excise, registration, etc fees isn't it? Heck, get rid of the toll takers, the toll booths, and THEIR maintenance and upkeep and maybe the "thruway" can become a "freeway"... "Once you have their money, never give it back..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Man Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck_dodgers007 Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Can't the federal government open more military bases in our state? We could then be wealthier and can get rid of these tolls. Or... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 (edited) Golly, I never saw this coming: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/state/possibility-of-thruway-toll-increase-emerges-after-rejection-of-bridge-funding-20140916 Edited September 17, 2014 by \GoBillsInDallas/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I take the San Mateo Bridge in the Bay Area every day to and from work. I pay a toll every morning going west and toll free in the afternoon going east. My toll is $5 and we are moving my office in a month and won't have to pay a toll to drive to work going forward. That's going to save me a minimum of $1200 a year in tolls alone. This past week while stuck in traffic I read the sign that stated the tolls. Tolls are based on the number of axles. An 18-wheeler which has five axles pays $25 to drive 7 miles. That bridge alone collected nearly $90mil in tolls last year. Well they're not getting my money anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Years back I made it all the way from BFLO to the Mass line w/out paying the toll. I still have the toll ticket. Don't ask how, but I ended in one line, they were changing shifts or something and the lady working there flagged me through. I turned to my wife and said: "Did we just get out of paying over 10 dollars?" Hey... I guess it happens... I wonder where I put that ticket, it was a pretty sizabel amount the toll that is. I wonder if there are more "mistakes" w/EZ-Pass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 I take the San Mateo Bridge in the Bay Area every day to and from work. I pay a toll every morning going west and toll free in the afternoon going east. My toll is $5 and we are moving my office in a month and won't have to pay a toll to drive to work going forward. That's going to save me a minimum of $1200 a year in tolls alone. This past week while stuck in traffic I read the sign that stated the tolls. Tolls are based on the number of axles. An 18-wheeler which has five axles pays $25 to drive 7 miles. That bridge alone collected nearly $90mil in tolls last year. Well they're not getting my money anymore. Not sure if they do this up there, but down here they have a new idea where if you take a tollroad and don't have Fastpass, etc., you can go to a website and pay within 48 hours and not get fined. This works great for me because I rarely use them, so I tried it on a trip to San Diego recently and, of course, forgot to pay within 48 hours. The fee went from $8 to something like $98. My fault, I know, but I went to the site to see if they had a grace period for first offenders, and it turned out the new website had so many glitches that they gave everyone grace. This surprised me because governments are usually pretty good at, y'know, building websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Good..... I'm glad some people are fed up with paying tolls.... Look, I'm not gonna linky, y'all know how google works, but when 90 was built, the tolls were supposed to be temporary, only long enough to pay for the construction. This is now what??? 50??? 60??? years later? And now they keep it up there for maintenance and upkeep, right?? Folks, maintenance and upkeep for roads, is why we pay fuel, license, oil, tire, excise, registration, etc fees isn't it? Heck, get rid of the toll takers, the toll booths, and THEIR maintenance and upkeep and maybe the "thruway" can become a "freeway"... Same thing with the Illinois Tollway... As long as they keep laying concrete on new roads, they keep taking. It is written into the Tollway Consitution. PROGRESS! Yeah, right. :-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Not sure if they do this up there, but down here they have a new idea where if you take a tollroad and don't have Fastpass, etc., you can go to a website and pay within 48 hours and not get fined. This works great for me because I rarely use them, so I tried it on a trip to San Diego recently and, of course, forgot to pay within 48 hours. The fee went from $8 to something like $98. My fault, I know, but I went to the site to see if they had a grace period for first offenders, and it turned out the new website had so many glitches that they gave everyone grace. This surprised me because governments are usually pretty good at, y'know, building websites. Up here as Wacka mentioned they've done away with the toll booths altogether on the GG bridge. So if you don't have Fastrak they send a bill to you in the mail through the license plate they took a picture of. How on earth this can be any more efficient than having people manning the booths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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