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"Unlike 23 New York State Thruway rest stops that are being rebuilt, four service areas will be renovated as part of a $450 million privately funded project.
The Malden, Ontario, Pattersonville and Sloatsburg service areas will close next week after Labor Day. The Malden and Sloatsburg rest stops are on Interstate 87, while Ontario and Pattersonville are on I-90.
"Significant renovations and upgrades" are planned for the rest stops, according to the Thruway Authority. Although the facilities will be closed, fuel services will remain available.
The rest stops are scheduled to reopen in the first half of 2024.
Empire State Thruway Partners was awarded a 33-year contract to operate the 27 service areas. The entity was created by Applegreen, an Ireland-based company with travel plazas in the U.S. and United Kingdom.
The first phase of the reconstruction project began in July 2021 with the closure of 10 Thruway service areas. The initial plan was for the project to be completed in three phases, but delays altered the timeline. Indian Castle Service Area on I-90 was the first rest stop to reopen to the public in August 2022, 13 months after it closed for construction.
Over the past year, more of the rest stops have reopened and construction began on other service areas. Work on the first wave of service areas that closed in 2021 has been completed. Once those facilities reopened, 10 others closed for construction.
Some of the rest stops that are under construction, including the Port Byron Service Area in Cayuga County and Seneca Service Area near Rochester, are expected to open later this year. Others won't reopen until 2024.
One goal of the $450 million project is to offer better amenities at the rest stops. Restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Shake Shack have replaced McDonald's and Roy Rogers. Electric vehicle charging stations will be available at every location and select rest stops will have special amenities for truckers, such as laundry services and showers.
The revamp of the rest stops has faced criticism, mainly because of the lack of space and the smaller restrooms compared to the previous facilities. Some critics have questioned why Chick-fil-A was selected as one of the restaurants when it's not open on Sunday.
The Thruway Authority has noted that not all of the rest stops will be the same size. The first few service areas that reopened were among the smallest in the state. But other service areas that have been rebuilt, namely Clifton Springs and Pembroke, are some of the largest rest stops in the state."
"early three years after cashless tolling went live, the New York State Thruway reached a milestone.
The Thruway Authority announced Friday that 1 billion transactions have been processed since the superhighway converted from a ticketed system to cashless tolling in November 2020.
With cashless tolling in effect, the Thruway Authority said the 1 billion transactions account for 17.4 billion miles traveled and $2.1 billion in revenue.
The state's transition to a cashless tolling system on the Thruway began in March 2020. Toll booths were replaced by steel gantries equipped with cameras. The final gantry was installed in August 2020 and the system went live that year.
"Cashless tolling saves time for our motorists, is better for the environment and enhances safety at previously congested toll plazas," said Frank Hoare, interim executive director of the Thruway Authority. "Reaching 1 billion successful transactions is an incredible milestone and it would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our employees day in and day out."
A vast majority of the cashless tolling transactions (87%) are E-ZPass users. Those who don't have E-ZPass are mailed a bill.
Collecting unpaid tolls has been a challenge for the Thruway Authority. An audit by the state comptroller's office found more than $276 million in unpaid tolls, including $119 million owed by out-of-state drivers.
One way the Thruway Authority has sought to collect the tolls is by resuming its registration suspension program. Since restarting the program last year, the state Department of Motor Vehicles has suspended 1,640 registrations for unpaid Thruway tolls. The Thruway has collected $4.5 million from nearly 4,000 motorists who were referred to the DMV.
The Thruway Authority has identified more than 325,000 motorists who could have their registrations suspended if they don't pay their tolls, nearly three-quarters of whom owe less than $500.
The cashless tolling milestone comes as the Thruway Authority is planning to increase toll prices next year. Tolls for New York E-ZPass users would increase by 5% in 2024 and another 5% in 2027. Out-of-state drivers using E-ZPass or tolls by mail would pay a 75% higher toll than in-state E-ZPass users.
Public hearings were held and the Thruway Authority is expected to vote on the proposal later this year."
Hmmm. That works out to the average thruway "trip" is about 17 miles. More proof that the thruway is more of a local highway, and should be free for local residents. Especially now, with the "semi connductor highway", or whatever they want to call it.
Hmmm. That works out to the average thruway "trip" is about 17 miles. More proof that the thruway is more of a local highway, and should be free for local residents. Especially now, with the "semi connductor highway", or whatever they want to call it.
Well, there has been suggestions in the Syracuse area to make local trips toll free. So, that has been put out there many times.
(again, just to note, tolls actually pay for the Thruway)
And who pays the tolls?
Passenger vehicles, and the citizens who receive products shipped by trucks. That's everyone, paying to have our food, and anything else we purchase delivered. So it is us, the end user, who pay the tolls, and with todays technology there are many different ways to collect those tolls.
BTW, the last I knew, the thruway pays for the canal system.
I also wonder how much could be saved by abolishing the "NYS Thruway Commision", and just fold the road into the rest of the DPW?
Passenger vehicles, and the citizens who receive products shipped by trucks. That's everyone, paying to have our food, and anything else we purchase delivered. So it is us, the end user, who pay the tolls, and with todays technology there are many different ways to collect those tolls.
BTW, the last I knew, the thruway pays for the canal system.
I also wonder how much could be saved by abolishing the "NYS Thruway Commision", and just fold the road into the rest of the DPW?
Actually, the drivers in the highway pay for the upkeep of the Thruway. If anything, it means taxpayers don’t pay for it unless they use it.
Tolls, fuel, EVERYTHING that costs a truck to deliver your goods is passed on to the final user. This is undisputable.
Again, i'm talking about funding the Thruway. I'm not talking about costs for individual drivers.
Again, the Thruway is funded by the tolls that those that drive on it pay. That is a plain and simple point that has been mentioned on here many, many, many times. It isn't hard to understand that the people that drive on it, pay for it and that includes those from outside of the state.
"The Thruway Authority says tolls and related fees make up 90% of its revenue – money used to repair and maintain the 570-mile Thruway system stretching from Western New York to New York City.
The Thruway began charging tolls when it opened in 1954 to pay off bonds that financed its construction. The tolls were supposed to end in 1996. But officials left the tolls in place to pay for operations and maintenance. The Thruway is not supported by any dedicated federal, state or local taxpayer funding."
Again, i'm talking about funding the Thruway. I'm not talking about costs for individual drivers.
Again, the Thruway is funded by the tolls that those that drive on it pay. That is a plain and simple point that has been mentioned on here many, many, many times. It isn't hard to understand that the people that drive on it, pay for it and that includes those from outside of the state.
"The Thruway Authority says tolls and related fees make up 90% of its revenue – money used to repair and maintain the 570-mile Thruway system stretching from Western New York to New York City.
The Thruway began charging tolls when it opened in 1954 to pay off bonds that financed its construction. The tolls were supposed to end in 1996. But officials left the tolls in place to pay for operations and maintenance. The Thruway is not supported by any dedicated federal, state or local taxpayer funding."
I see by all of your other comments that you don't understand, nor believe in Capitalism. Like it or not, that is the system we live with, and it couldn't be more simple.
I see by all of your other comments that you don't understand, nor believe in Capitalism. Like it or not, that is the system we live with, and it couldn't be more simple.
No, I think you just like to argue and are quite arrogant. Let alone not understanding when someone offers a descriptive analysis versus a prescriptive analysis.
Let’s try this again, the point was that the tolls are the overwhelming source of revenue for the Thruway. Then, I again gave plain and simple language that illustrates that point. That’s all.
No, I think you just like to argue and are quite arrogant. Let alone not understanding when someone offers a descriptive analysis versus a prescriptive analysis.
Let’s try this again, the point was that the tolls are the overwhelming source of revenue for the Thruway. Then, I again gave plain and simple language that illustrates that point. That’s all.
I don't recall arguing that tolls pay the maintenance. I've just took it to the next step to show where those tolls are derived from. It's really pretty simple, and not contrary to what you are saying.
Remember, without the end user, you and me, there would be no need for the trucks. And then there would be no tolls.
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