What's happening
This bill prohibits the Port Authority from increasing bridge or tunnel tolls unless the additional funds are used solely for transportation facility improvements, reconstruction, or maintenance.
Why it matters
Ensures Toll Revenue Transparency. By mandating that any toll increases must be used exclusively for transportation facility improvements, reconstruction, or maintenance, the bill aims to prevent funds from being diverted to unrelated projects or administrative overhead.
Limits Arbitrary Toll Hikes. The bill restricts the Port Authority’s ability to raise bridge and tunnel tolls except when there is a clear, transportation-focused need, potentially protecting commuters and businesses from unnecessary cost increases.
Requires Bi-State Approval. The bill only takes effect if New Jersey enacts an identical law, emphasizing the interdependent governance of the Port Authority and ensuring consistent toll policies across state lines.
Strengthens Public Accountability. By specifying the allowable uses for toll increases and requiring notification of enactment, the bill increases oversight of how transportation funds are spent, which may help build public trust in infrastructure management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Limit Bridge and Tunnel Tolls
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1894
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 relating to the port of New York authority, in relation to the imposition of tolls for certain bridges and tunnels
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 relating to the port of New York authority is amended by adding a new section 1-a to read as follows:
§ 1-a. Bridge crossings and tunnels. No toll charged by the authority for crossings over an authority bridge or an authority tunnel shall be increased on or after December first, two thousand eighteen, provided, that nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or otherwise limit the authority from imposing a toll increase for crossings over an authority bridge or an authority tunnel, provided, that such toll increase is utilized solely for the improvement, reconstruction or maintenance of the authority's transportation related facilities.
§ 2. This act shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this act, but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted such legislation, this act shall take effect immediately; and the chairman of the port authority of New York and New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of such enactment in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00583-02-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 relating to the port of New York authority, in relation to the imposition of tolls for certain bridges and tunnels
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation amends the Public Authorities Law by prohibiting an increase in the toll charge and fares on all bridges, tunnels and transit authorities operated by the Authority unless the increases are utilized for transportation related programs and improvements.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 relating to the port of New York authority, by adding a new section 1-a which states that no toll may be increased over an authority bridge or tunnel after December 1, 2018, unless the increase is utilized solely for the improvement, reconstruction or maintenance of the authority's transportation relation facilities.
Read the full memo (645 words)
Section 2 provides that the act will take effect upon the enactment into law by the state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this act, but if the state of New Jersey has already enacted such legislation, this at shall take effect immediately.
Justification
On August 19, 2011, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners, with the approval of the Governors of New York and New Jersey adopted a toll increase of $1.50 in September 2011 and 75 cents per year, every year thereafter, from 2012-2015 for E-ZPass holders. An additional $2 penalty on top of increased tolls was implemented for cash toll payers. These toll increases will bring the rush-hour cash tolls to $15 by 2015. While the Authority failed to publicly disclose a detailed Capital Expenditure Plan, it has issued press releases stating that substantial toll increases are needed because of its escalating real estate development expenses at the World Trade Center.
These unprecedented toll hikes, and diversion of toll revenue to non-transportation projects come at a time when our region's roads and bridges are deteriorating. In fact, every bridge owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is rated as "functionally obsolete" by the Federal Highway Administration.
Accordingly, this legislation intends to ensure that tolls on the busiest interstate facilities in the Northeast corridor are not diverted to unrelated and speculative real estate projects. Indeed, the federal Bridge Act requires bridge tolls to be "just and reasonable" (33 U.S.C.§ 508) and the federal courts have consistently interpreted that to require that increases to interstate tolls be used only for facilities that have functional relationships to those bridges. See (AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF NEW YORK. INC. V PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY), 887 F.2d 417 (2d Cir. 1989).
Consequently, this legislation, by codifying the 1989 decision of the Federal Court of Appeals, will ensure that the Authority maintains its core mission of reconstructing and improving critical infrastructure rather than forcing travelers using interstate bridges and tunnels to pay exorbitant and unreasonable toll rates to subsidize costly and speculative office redevelopment projects.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.726-A 2013-14: S.668 2011-12: S.6011
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined.
Effective date
This act will take effect upon the enactment into law by the state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect with this act, but if the state of New Jersey has already enacted such legislation, this act shall take effect immediately; and the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of such enactment in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective database of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effecting the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.