Toll Freeze, Shared Path Pick: Coping with the New Bridge across the Hudson

NYACK, NY - Local and state officials met Thursday to make several announcements on issues facing Rockland County residents with the new bridge, including the price of the crossing, the logistics of a path for pedestrians and bicyclists, and the implications of the cashless toll system.

"With the Tappan Zee Bridge encompassing a large part of the lives of our residents, we as elected officials must ensure their voices are heard. This means working together, whether it be uniting behind the Alternative F proposal and the Shared Use Path or providing a location to buy a prepaid E-ZPass," said Senator David Carlucci (D – Rockland/Westchester.

First, he said, safeguarding the economy of the Lower Hudson Valley depends on keeping tolls affordable for residents who depend on crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge.

As part of New York's new budget for fiscal 2016-17, $700 million has been invested in keeping tolls frozen until 2020, which will provide greater financial security for Rockland and Westchester residents, he said.

“I am delighted to hear that tolls on the new Tappan Zee Bridge will remain at their current level until 2020 and I strongly urge all parties to work together to ensure that tolls remain as low as possible even after that date," said Andy Stewart, Orangetown Town Supervisor. "A large discount for residents of Rockland County would go a long way towards accomplishing that goal and I thank Senator Carlucci and other state lawmakers for their efforts in this area,”

Second, Carlucci and South Nyack Mayor Bonnie Christian said, as construction on the bridge continues, particularly important to residents of South Nyack is the placement of the terminus for the Shared Use Path (SUP) which will span the length of the newly constructed bridge.

Support among South Nyack elected officials and residents is near-unanimous for the proposal Alternative F, which would use the Exit 10 interchange on the Thruway reconfigured with a parking lot to accommodate increased pedestrian foot traffic once the SUP is finished. The public comment period on this proposal ended April 1st.

“With respect to the Shared Use Path, I urge the Thruway Authority and NY State to work with local officials and residents to find a way to add this exciting new amenity while minimizing negative impacts on neighboring residents," said Stewart.

Third, starting April 23rd, cashless tolls will go into effect along the Tappan Zee Bridge, which means that every motorist who crosses the bridge must have an E-ZPass or receive a bill in the mail from the Thruway Authority. However, the closure of the E-ZPass in Nanuet last year, has prevented Rockland residents from be able to easily access an E-ZPass should they need one.

So the Rockland County Clerk's Office has expanded its services as an E-Z Pass On the Go retailer, County Clerk Paul Piperato announced.

"In light of the closure of the Rockland County E-ZPass Customer Service Center, we are delighted to expand our role," Piperato said. "With the recently implemented "all E-ZPass" Thruway toll in place, the need for a local Rockland County E-ZPass Center has become even greater. The closest center is now in Yonkers, over 30 miles from many Rockland County residents...We believe that creation of a new expanded E-ZPass Rockland Service Center in our office will offer a great convenience to many Rockland residents and serve to increase revenue for the County of Rockland."

Editor's Note: The cashless toll process means getting a bill in the mail for drivers without E-Z Pass. Information was incorrect in the original version of this report. Patch regrets the error.