The New York State Thruway Authority generally bills drivers correctly for tolls, according to a recent audit by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, though some exceptions were identified. The audit also recommended improved monitoring and corrective actions.
“The Thruway Authority has come a long way since it first introduced cashless tolls, but some problems remain,” said DiNapoli. “Even a smaller percentage of unreadable or inaccurate tolls can mean loss of revenue to the state or aggravation for New Yorkers facing incorrect bills. I appreciate the efforts the Authority has undertaken to fix the issues we identified.”
In 2024, the Thruway reported $1 billion in toll and related revenues, up from $804 million in 2021. E-Z Pass accounted for 95% of all tolls collected. A previous audit in May 2023 had found that the Authority needed to improve its collections process.
The latest audit found progress but highlighted areas needing attention:
- Over a three-week period, 92,000 tolls could not be charged because license plates were unreadable.
- At Exit 25A near Schenectady, some 36,000 tolls were incorrectly charged and 8,000 tolls that should have been charged were missed, representing an error rate of about 5%.
- Oversight of non-revenue E-Z Pass tags and discounted tolls needs strengthening. Of 75 randomly sampled non-revenue tags, 46 (61%) lacked supporting documentation to verify eligibility.
The audit also examined the Office of the Toll Payer Advocate (TPA), created in December 2019 to help customers resolve toll-related issues. While the TPA has reduced violation fees for common issues, auditors found that in 12 of 20 toll-related cases examined, fee reductions exceeded the authorized criteria without documentation explaining why.
Another area of concern is undeliverable toll mail. Auditors reviewed 48 bills and past-due notices sent by the Authority’s vendor and found 25 undeliverable, including 21 for New York and Massachusetts plates. Rather than resolving these issues, the vendor continued mailing notices to invalid addresses, leaving drivers at risk of accruing penalties.
The audit included nine recommendations to improve toll collections and customer service, such as:
- Reviewing collections at Exit 25A to ensure charges are accurate
- Periodically reviewing transactions to identify and correct inaccuracies
- Verifying eligibility of non-revenue and discount tags
- Documenting toll settlements that exceed guidelines
The Thruway Authority generally agreed with the findings and said it has already begun implementing some of the recommended improvements.
If you want, I can also make a shorter, punchy version for quick web or social media posting highlighting key figures and recommendations. Do you want me to do that?
