Please consider Sponsoring and co-sponsoring this legislation

Senators, Bruno, Maziarz, Rath, Volker, Thompson
Assemblymen, Tedisco, Hoyt, Schimminger, Quinn, Cole, Hayes

In a nutshell, it is time to remove the Thruway Authority from the Niagara Section of the 190 including the Grand Island Bridges and tolls. Give this portion of highway to the New York State Department of Transportation. The tolls on the bridges have been in place since 1935, 72 years we have been paying to cross the island and this current toll increase shows us exactly how out of control the unelected Thruway Authority is. It is time to reign them in and start the steps of making the authority smaller. A 100% toll increase in two years is unacceptable.

Had the LaSalle Expressway been completed as designed we would have an alternative route, we don’t and the Grand Island Bridges can no longer handle the excessive traffic, 72,000 vehicles cross the south Grand Island bridges and 51,000 cross the North bridges everyday. In 1950 the NYSTA took over control of the bridges and tolls, they were the very first tolls on the NYS thruway. Not until 1954 did the first toll section of the thruway open, so from the beginning the GI bridge tolls have been supporting the rest of the thruway system. Even Jeff Williams agrees with me, he wishes the DOT already controlled the bridges and the 190. Jeff is the first one to admit that the money collected at the Grand Island tolls does not stay here, only a minor portion actually stays to maintain the bridges, yet two of them were just yellow flagged and all 4 were rated below four. Had the money actually stayed here these bridges would be in top A-1 condition. Last year alone $10.6 Million went back into the general fund in Albany yet the Thruway Authority claims they are broke.

So we can do them a favor and remove this burden from them and let the NYSDOT take them over and bridge maintenance and repairs will be paid for out of the 19 cent Federal gas tax, highway use taxes, state gas taxes and every other tax under the sun that NY charges us. When 1.4 Billion is given back to the state for roads and bridges from the feds the money needs to be used for the roads and bridges as dedicated funds.

Commuters are now getting slammed with two dollars a day to get back and forth to work and school. EZ Pass discounts will be eliminated in July? This insanity cannot be tolerated any longer, time to reign in the out of control Authorities and start right here. It is the right thing to do. Please consider Sponsoring and co-sponsoring this legislation and start helping us here in WNY.

Our only other option will be to file a Lawsuit based on Taxation without Representation. For years we have been asking and in some cases begging to have these tolls removed and no increases in tolls, yet the unelected Thruway Authority does what they do because they can. It is time to hold them accountable and take these roads and bridges away

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you all soon.
Rus Thompson