Legislation would transfer I-190, end tolls

by Larry Austin
Grand Island Dispatch, February 29, 2008

State Sen. George Maziarz discusses legislation as
Assemblyman Sam Hoyt listens. (photo by Larry Austin)

The road to ending tolls at the Grand Island bridges may take a short cut as legislators discuss divesting the New York Thruway Authority of control of the I-190.

At a press conference at Grand Island Town Hall last Friday, State Sen. George Maziarz, R-62nd District, Newfane, and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-144th District, Buffalo, Grand Island, discussed legislation they are proposing that would transfer control of the Niagara section of the Thruway from the New York State Thruway Authority to the state Department of Transportation.

The move, if passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer, would both remove tolls collected at the Grand Island bridges and make the bridges eligible for federal aid reimbursements, Maziarz said.

Maziarz said Friday this “an entirely different plan” than those previously proposed to remove the tolls from the Grand Island bridges. Past plans introduced were “feel-good legislation,” he said, that merely called for removing the tolls without a mechanism to determine where money would come from to operate and maintain the roads. The Thruway Authority policy has stated that if tolls were removed, a replacement funding source must be found.

“This is saying we’re taking away the operation and maintenance responsibility from the Thruway Authority,” Maziarz said.

Hoyt and Maziarz credited Islander Rus Thompson with the transfer idea. Thompson said he approached Maziarz in about late November or early December with the concept.

“Honestly, it just came to me,” Thompson said. “When you look at the Thruway from Erie, Pa., all the way to Albany, once you get off the mainline Thruway there are no tolls. Why is the Thruway Authority controlling any sections of roads off of the mainline Thruway? It makes no sense.”

“When Gov. Spitzer says that he’s wants to influx a billion dollars for the economy of Western New York, this is one huge step that he can take to actually start doing something to show that he does care for Western New York,” said Thompson of nogitolls.com. “This one step. If he does this, then he’s basically made a commitment, because he hasn’t done anything thus far.”

Maziarz said he thinks he can secure passage of the legislation in the State Senate.

“I think that’s where the assemblyman and I have to convince our colleagues that this is just a sense of fairness,” Maziarz said, noting that other thoroughfares off the mainline Thruway – the 390, 490 and 590 in Rochester, the 690 in Syracuse and the 790 in Albany – have never had a toll.

The real key players are the chairman of the houses’ transportation committees, Maziarz said. The chairman on the Senate side, Sen. Tom Libous of Binghamton, supports the plan, Maziarz added. Hoyt has not addressed the issue with Assemblyman David F. Gantt of Monroe County, chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. Hoyt and Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Lewiston, are both members of the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Thruway Authority Boardmember Jeff Williams of Lewiston said he was “in absolute favor” of the legislation.

“It’s a good step forward,” Williams said. “As we start divesting assets like the 190 and the canal system, I think we start moving back to our original purpose, which is running the mainline Thruway.”

“It’s a step in the right direction, and it’s exciting.”

“The concept makes sense,” said John Bonora of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce. “I don’t care how they do it, I’m just absolutely thrilled at the prospect of them doing it.”