Any one have more insight to this? Doesn’t look like much will change its just the cost to police the thruway will shift to taxpayers as a whole and not just to toll payers.
Thruway Authority chief Thomas Madison, at a Red Room meeting with Gov. Cuomo just announced that they have found a way to avoid what had been initially put forth as a 45 percent toll hike for trucks.
“We asked for creativity and we found creativity,” Cuomo said after Madison laid out how they will save about $84 million in the 2013 budget.
The biggest savings will come from ending the long term practice of paying the state police to patrol the highway.
Unlike coverage on other roads, the state police have, since the Thruway opened in 1954, been contracted to provide coverage for the toll road. That now costs some $60 million per year. Cuomo stressed there still will be a Troop T but the state troopers will patrol the road like they do any other highway or byway.
Thruway number crunchers also found another $24 million in savings, including a large shrinkage, mostly by attrition of the workforce, controlling overtime payments and better managing energy cost. They will also cut back on the Authority-owned Thruway expenses and they plan to take a look at the Erie Canal, which both Cuomo and Madison admitted was a huge money sink, but which the state is constitutionally obligated to keep open.
News of the averted hike was well-timed since the Thruway Authority board is scheduled to meet at 2 pm today, after a couple of hastily cancelled meetings that came amid unstinting anger about what had been the proposed toll hikes.
Motorists and taxpayers, of course, should keep couple of things in mind here: ending the state police contract will basically be shifting some of that cost onto the agency itself, which could be reflected in the larger state budget, so instead of truckers seeing an increase, the broad base of taxpayers may have to pay more for what apparently is the costly policing of the Thruway.
Also, there were no guarantees against toll hikes more than “several years” out, both Cuomo and Madison stressed that no one can predict the future.
funny that this was posted i was going to herkimer this weekend and on my way up i saw atleast 6 people pulled over between ext 24-29a and same on the way back on sunday they are trying to get as much tickets as possible
THIS. 3 times a week its a sea of brake lights and people trying not to rear end eachother just before the 24 tolls eastbound each morning. Becasue they they all panic when they see a trooper sitting in the median enjoying a warm coffee chillin in the AC or heated cruiser.
/\ if only you know how it really works, the flow of money here. LOL
If the state wants to take $1 out of the left pocket, and put it into the right, it “costs” $100 to do so.
no exaggeration. Its absolutely retarded how the money moves around here and “generates income”.
IF anything changes. The troops MIGHT get bitched at for spending too much time on the thruway, since they arent getting paid for it. but thats a long shot. More or less what all this means is just like you said. One agency wont see the budget they used to come from another agency, so yet another agency will have to pick up the slack.
Lol on my way in this morning just getting onto free 90 after the 24 tolls I’m minding my own business in the middle lane doing 60 or so behind someone and an albany cop in a “special operations” car comes cruising up the left lane and the dude in front of me mashes the brakes down to 50 with no one in front of him. Luckily I generally leave enough space so it wasn’t an issue. If I was that cop I woulda pulled him over and given him a ticket. In the citation box I would have written “For: Being Retarded”
I love the looks on peoples faces, as I never back off cruise control at 75-78mph, when I am coming up on them (usually they are doing like 70 in the left lane), and they mash the brakes becasue they see a cop sitting in the u turn… I just blinker on to the right and go around them.
The look of dismay on their faces is priceless. I havnt been pulled over yet.
if you drive a normal car, in the driving lane where you should be you can pass them at 80 all day long too. Depends on the cop. My buddy doesnt pull anyone over on the thruway for anything less than 82mph. Becasue the DA’s usually reduce anything under 17 over (if its their only ticket at the time) to a parking ticket or failure to obey. He told me “if they dont care enough about the actuall speed, neither do I.” On city or highway its 10 over and your getting yanked but 9-10 you are let off with a warning, 11-15 over and your getting a seatbelt or what ever, 15 over and your getting the 1180.
wish i got pulled over by cops like that more often!
In the last 25 years I have taken a “Do not slow down approach” to when I see a cop in the median, or where ever. Figuring that he already has me anyway, no need to admit my guilt by braking. In those 25 years I have been pulled over…NEVER…Other cars around me were chased down but, I was left to continue on my merry way.
exactly! Also from the horses mouth. “If i see their brake lights, i am coming after them”. Hes a sneaky fucker too, he loves it when they think they are smart and brake befor passing him. He watches the reflection in the wet road, the cars bumper behind them, nose and headlights drop… and plays them too.
“I noticed you hit your brakes, did you know how fast you were going?”
“I didnt hit my brakes.”
“OK, license and registration, ill be right back with your ticket. I saw the reflection in the wet road from your tail lights.”
dude really hammers it home when people try to get over on him, others if your honest and respectfull, he will make it your lucky day.
Troopers don’t give a fuck… Some will write their own mothers a ticket.
Why play a game, just give the person a ticket or don’t pull someone over.
The lets play a game attitude is cocky as hell. I’ve been in situations when I tell the truth and it doesn’t work out as well as it could when i should’ve lied.