Ashtyn Hiron
“That’s right Naiya and Danielle, The plan is to eliminate all toll booths by the end of 2020. I was at a rest stop earlier today and spoke with truck drivers who say all told me that they already use the E-Z pass system– They said if they pay for it and they use it they want it to be more efficient.
Ashtyn Hiron:
Driving on the thruway means paying a toll. Whether it’s with an easy pass, cash, or a bill in the mail. But this could all change, and some truck drivers say it’s long overdue.
Luis Conrado:
“Right now it’s a mess the way things are right now”
Ashtyn Hiron:
The toll booths are separated into different lanes that are dictated by different payment methods.
Luis Conrado:
“Every time you get into a toll there’s always people fighting just to get into that one lane”
Ashtyn Hiron:
The New York state thruway authority will spend over three-hundred -million-dollars to get rid of those toll booths on interstate ninety.
Ashtyn Hiron:
“Come 2020 when these cashless tolls are installed the New York state Thruway Authority predicts that you’ll no longer have to mess around for coins or money in your car. You’ll just need an E-Z pass or your license plate.”
Ashtyn Hiron:
The new system will still charge you, but will use cameras and sensors to track the vehicles that drive on the thruway.
Gerald StJean:
“we’re on an EZ pass system anyway right now and I think it’s just going to make things quicker for everybody”
Ashtyn Hiron:
The cashless system will charge the account connected to the easy pass or the address connected to the license.
Ashtyn Hiron: Now people can prepare for this change by making sure their address is up to date with the Department of Motor Vehicles and they also do suggest getting an easy pass. Live in Syracuse, Ashtyn Hiron, NCC News.
Driving on the Thruway means paying a toll. Whether it’s with an E-ZPass, a bill in the mail, or cash. This will change by the end of 2020, as the Thruway Authority installs a new system.
Currently, the toll booths are separated into different lanes that are dictated by different payment methods.
Luis Conrado drives trucks for Lorenzo Food and said the way the toll booths are operating right now isn’t working.
“I hope it does speed up the traffic, because it should speed up, right now it’s a mess the way things are,” Conrado said. “Every time you get into a toll there’s always people fighting just to get into that one lane.”
The new system will still charge drivers, but will use cameras and sensors to track the vehicles that drive on the Thruway. The toll amount will then be charged to the E-ZPass holder or billed to the address of the registered vehicle.
Gerald St Jean is a truck driver for Truk King. He drives on the Thruway daily, and said his E-ZPass is already efficient but hopes cashless tolls will make it more efficient.
“We’re on an E-ZPass system anyway right now and I think it’s just going to make things quicker for everybody,” St Jean said.
St Jean is also concerned about toll workers losing their jobs because of the change.
“I’m just concerned that there is going to be a lot of loss of work going on because all these people are going to loose their jobs on the toll service,” said St Jean.
Thruway drivers will still pay their tolls the same way they have been until the system activates in 2020. The plan does not include any increases to toll prices.
To prepare for the tolling changes, Thruway officials suggest making sure your address is up to date with the Department of Motor Vehicles or getting an E-ZPass.
