Hundreds of businesses and commercial carriers from across New York and the Northeast are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to intervene as the New York State Thruway Authority moves forward with a newly announced 1% surcharge on all tolls processed through commercial toll-management providers.
The surcharge — set to take effect in January — was issued without public notice or stakeholder engagement and would function as a backdoor toll increase on the state’s trucking industry and the consumers it serves.
In a joint letter to the governor, the signatories wrote: “We…write to express our strong opposition to the New York State Thruway Authority’s plan to impose a new backdoor toll increase… Collectively, we represent hundreds of companies, thousands of employees and tens—if not hundreds—of thousands of New Yorkers who will feel the impact of this cost increase.”
A copy of the letter sent to Hochul, along with a full list of businesses opposed to the surcharge, can be found at https://tinyurl.com/244dt57p.
The surcharge would apply only to commercial trucking accounts, add costs across the entire E-ZPass network — including miles driven outside New York — and increase operating pressures at a time when fleets and drivers are already navigating inflation, higher fuel prices and a prolonged freight recession. Industry leaders warn the proposal directly conflicts with Governor Hochul’s stated commitment to affordability, noting her repeated assertion that “when costs for basic necessities skyrocket, every dollar counts.”
The Thruway Authority’s decision bypassed the public process normally used for toll adjustments, and comes only months after the State Comptroller identified $276 million in unpaid tolls and major collection failures — evidence that the authority should fix existing management problems before adding new costs onto commercial carriers.
“A hidden toll increase risks raising costs on everything from groceries to building materials — and it lands hardest on small businesses, working families and the farmers and processors who rely on efficient transportation,” the letter continued.
A recent statewide survey from the Business Council found that only 2% of business leaders feel Albany represents their interests, while 72% say economic conditions are not good.
Dozens of the signatory businesses also provided individual statements underscoring how the surcharge would affect their operations, employees and customers.