Thruway Authority announces agreement with Province of Ontario to mail residents toll bills for travel through cashless tolling facilities

Agreement allows Thruway Authority to access addresses of Ontario residents for billing purposes

The New York State Thruway Authority on Thursday announced an agreement with the Province of Ontario to access the addresses of Ontario residents to send a bill in the mail after they travel through a cashless tolling facility on the Thruway.

The agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation expands the billing options already available for Ontario motorists which include E-ZPass, payment online via the Tolls by Mail website, or over the phone by calling the Tolls by Mail Customer Service Center at 1-844-826-8400. The agreement is effective as of Oct. 25.

“The Thruway in Western New York is a gateway for Canadians and New York motorists who frequently travel between our two countries,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said. “We thank the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for their cooperation in establishing this important agreement. Ontario motorists who travel over the Grand Island Bridges have numerous options to pay their tolls and this agreement enables all drivers who travel through a cashless tolling facility on the Thruway to receive a bill in the mail.”

Currently, the Grand Island Bridges in Western New York, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and the fixed-price toll barriers in the lower Hudson Valley are cashless tolling facilities. The Thruway will convert to cashless tolling system-wide by the end of 2020.

When traveling through a cashless tolling facility, vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Motorists who prefer to pay their toll before they receive a bill in the mail can do so on the Tolls by Mail website, or by calling the Customer Service Center. More information about the billing process can be found on the Thruway Authority’s website.

E-ZPass is the most convenient way to pay a toll, NYSTA said. All drivers, regardless of residency, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass account. E-ZPass On-the-Go tags are available at 26 Thruway service areas, select cash lanes and more than 900 retail locations across New York state. Customers can also sign up online or by calling the E-ZPass customer service center at 1-800-333-8655.

E-ZPass customers are encouraged to sign up for mobile alerts to receive email and/or text messages of important information regarding their E-ZPass account. Notifications are sent for low balances, failed payments, successful replenishments, increased replenishment amounts, and payment method expirations. Customers can log into their account at www.e-zpassny.com, go to account profile, and opt-in to mobile alerts. Customers must have an email address and/or cell phone number listed on their account.

Customers can also access the Tolls by Mail website and their E-ZPass account on the Thruway Authority’s mobile app, which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices.