If you're driving on the New York State Thruway, expect to pay more starting today.
Tolls are calculated based on your car's height, number of axles, and how far you're going on the road. The Thruway's board of directors approved a rate increase in September after a public process. It's the first toll adjustment system-wide for E-Z Pass users in 14 years. If you have one, you're going to be paying 5% more now and another 5% in 2027.
For example, Woodbury to Newburgh was $1.33 for a passenger car. Now, it'll be $1.39. That's six cents more.
If you don't have an E-Z Pass or are getting your tolls by mail, you're currently paying 5.1 and 5.8 cents per mile respectively for a passenger car. That will go up to 8.6 cents per mile by 2027. Tolls on the Mario Cuomo Bridge will go up 50 cents every year now through 2027.
The 40% commuter discount plan is staying in place and the Westchester/Rockland discount is even going up from 17 to 20%.
The Thruway Authority says its tolls are still some of the lowest in the country, but that doesn't mean drivers struggling with inflation are happy about the hike.
"I don't think it's good. You have congestion pricing in Manhattan starting in 2024 and this doesn't help either so not excited about it. I do commute over bridges every day so it's not something I'm looking forward to," Rod Monteagudo, a commuter from Westchester, said.