ALBANY - As lawmakers from both parties look for ways to stop a planned increase in state Thruway tolls, the head of the agency that runs the highway said one of the proposals being considered could prevent a hike.
Saying not enough drivers have been using the Thruway to cover the cost of a $2.1 billion highway and bridge repair plan, the Thruway Authority last month floated a plan to increase cash tolls by 5 percent in 2009, and another 5 percent in 2010.
The proposed hikes have drawn criticism from lawmakers and other state officials.
Assembly minority Republicans on Tuesday held the first in a series of public hearings on the proposed toll hike and are expected to introduce legislation that would remove the money-losing state Canal Corporation from the Thruway Authority's control.
If such a measure were to pass, the toll hikes probably wouldn't be needed, said Michael Fleischer, the Thruway Authority's executive director.
“If (the Canal Corporation) was gone, the authority would probably still have to reduce E-ZPass discounts but would likely not have to do the general toll increases in 2009 and 2010,” Fleischer said.
The state Legislature folded the Canal Corporation - which runs state's canal system - into the Thruway Authority in 1992.
Today, it costs about $80 million a year to run the canal system, which takes in only about $2.5 million in revenue, Fleischer said.
He noted that the Thruway Authority's board of directors has supported previous legislative proposals to shed the Canal Corporation. A failed proposal by former Gov. George Pataki last year would have made it part of the state budget, supported by state and federal tax revenue.
Assembly Democrats on Tuesday announced they'll hold their own hearings on the proposed toll hike, and urged the Thruway Authority not to make any decisions until state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli completes an audit of the authority's books.
DiNapoli's report is expected within the next few weeks.
Fleischer said a final decision on the proposed toll hike wouldn't be made until early next spring.
The authority's board of directors at its meeting on Dec. 19 is scheduled to vote on the issue, but the vote will be on whether to move ahead with a formal toll-hike proposal and seek public and legislative input on the plan. The final vote on whether to raise the tolls wouldn't happen until March, Fleischer said.
“There's going to be plenty of time for people to react,” he said. “Nobody's going to try to sneak anything through.”
Voice your opinion
• Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, will chair a hearing “exploring the negative impact” of the toll hike from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Syracuse Tech Garden Room 302, 235 Harrison St., Syracuse.
• Assemblyman Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, will chair a hearing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the Monroe County Legislative Chambers, 39 W. Main St., Rochester.
• Those wishing to testify must give prior notice to the office of each chair. Barclay representative Jennifer Cook can be reached at 598-5185 and Kolb representative Doug Finch at 781-0230.
The proposed hikes have drawn criticism from lawmakers and other state officials.
Assembly minority Republicans on Tuesday held the first in a series of public hearings on the proposed toll hike and are expected to introduce legislation that would remove the money-losing state Canal Corporation from the Thruway Authority's control.
If such a measure were to pass, the toll hikes probably wouldn't be needed, said Michael Fleischer, the Thruway Authority's executive director.
“If (the Canal Corporation) was gone, the authority would probably still have to reduce E-ZPass discounts but would likely not have to do the general toll increases in 2009 and 2010,” Fleischer said.
The state Legislature folded the Canal Corporation - which runs state's canal system - into the Thruway Authority in 1992.
Today, it costs about $80 million a year to run the canal system, which takes in only about $2.5 million in revenue, Fleischer said.
He noted that the Thruway Authority's board of directors has supported previous legislative proposals to shed the Canal Corporation. A failed proposal by former Gov. George Pataki last year would have made it part of the state budget, supported by state and federal tax revenue.
Assembly Democrats on Tuesday announced they'll hold their own hearings on the proposed toll hike, and urged the Thruway Authority not to make any decisions until state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli completes an audit of the authority's books.
DiNapoli's report is expected within the next few weeks.
Fleischer said a final decision on the proposed toll hike wouldn't be made until early next spring.
The authority's board of directors at its meeting on Dec. 19 is scheduled to vote on the issue, but the vote will be on whether to move ahead with a formal toll-hike proposal and seek public and legislative input on the plan. The final vote on whether to raise the tolls wouldn't happen until March, Fleischer said.
“There's going to be plenty of time for people to react,” he said. “Nobody's going to try to sneak anything through.”
Voice your opinion
• Assemblyman Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, will chair a hearing “exploring the negative impact” of the toll hike from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Syracuse Tech Garden Room 302, 235 Harrison St., Syracuse.
• Assemblyman Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, will chair a hearing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the Monroe County Legislative Chambers, 39 W. Main St., Rochester.
• Those wishing to testify must give prior notice to the office of each chair. Barclay representative Jennifer Cook can be reached at 598-5185 and Kolb representative Doug Finch at 781-0230.
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