Lawmakers Call For Tappan Zee Toll Break For Locals
NEW CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Lawmakers want locals to get a discount when the new Tappan Zee Bridge is built over the Hudson River between Westchester and Rockland counties.
This follows Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal earlier this month for Staten Island residents to pay reduced tolls on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
The Verrazano cash toll is $15. Residents with E-ZPass pay $6, but Cuomo has proposed lowering that to $5.50 -- a savings of 63 percent, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported.
Residents north of New York City are hoping for the same treatment.
The current cash toll on the Tappan Zee is $5. Drivers pay $3 if they have E-ZPass plus a commuter plan. The state Thruway Authority is expected to significantly raise tolls to pay for the new bridge, which is slated to open in 2018.
Local officials on both sides of the Hudson River believe Rockland and Westchester county residents deserve a steep discount because they have limited mass transit options, just like Staten Island residents.
"If we keep the pressure up I think there's a good chance that we could get results from the state," Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said. "There's no reason why we should be treated any differently than Buffalo or Staten Island."
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