The longest continual toll road is about to get a lot more expensive… for truck drivers.
On Wednesday, the New York Thruway Authority took a major step toward raising toll costs by 45% for trucks. The price of commuter cars will remain the same.
The increased toll revenue will go to road repairs and will help pad the deficit. Â According to WNYT, “Since 2005, Thruway traffic has declined 10 percent while operating expenses grew more than 20 percent, creating a short term debt of $368 million.”
“Don’t put it on our backs to pay for X, Y, or Z spending problems,” Calvin Keller, an independent trucker from Ohio, who says he travels the Thruway once a week, told the station.
“Look at how much revenue that trucks actually bring in to the state of New York versus a car,” he says “We’re at five or six miles to the gallon. We’re paying fuel tax a lot more fuel tax then you’re average car does.”
The Thruway Authority says big trucks cause 10,000 times the damage that cars cause, though trucks currently only pay a 5% higher toll than commuter cars.
Randy Zabel told WNYT he believes the rate hike would force truck drivers to choose alternate routes, Â through small towns.
What do you think, drivers? Â Will you choose an alternate route? Â How much is a reasonable toll fee for trucks?