Thruway toll-free for Syracuse-area commuters (Buffalo, Albany: 2009, taxes, cities)

[bellafinzi]

Thruway should be toll-free for Syracuse-area commuters, legislator says
by John Mariani/The Post-Standard
Monday July 06, 2009, 5:37 PM
Syracuse, NY -- The Thruway between Exit 34A in DeWitt and Exit 39 in Van Buren should be toll-free for Onondaga County residents, and the E-ZPass system should be used to make it happen, a county legislator says.

Thruway should be toll-free for Syracuse-area commuters, legislator says - syracuse.com


The Thruway in the Buffalo area is toll free, and the same in Albany. It makes sense for people who commute within the Syracuse area to have toll free exits too.

I disagree with using the E-ZPass system to do it. Why not treat Syracuse like Buffalo and Albany for once and make the Thruway section through the Syracuse area toll free for everyone?

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by bellafinzi

I disagree with using the E-ZPass system to do it. Why not treat Syracuse like Buffalo and Albany for once and make the Thruway section through the Syracuse area toll free for everyone?

I thought the same thing when I moved here...why the heck would they charge the locals to travel a highway here that connects the upstate cities?

Not that I really ever have a need to take it, but I will purposely not take it just because I dont tend to carry cash and (even if I knew they accepted CC's) just wont pay to travel on a road for less than 5 minutes.

[acknight]

Originally Posted by bellafinzi

The Thruway in the Buffalo area is toll free, and the same in Albany. It makes sense for people who commute within the Syracuse area to have toll free exits too.

I disagree with using the E-ZPass system to do it. Why not treat Syracuse like Buffalo and Albany for once and make the Thruway section through the Syracuse area toll free for everyone?

The Thruway itself isn't quite free through Albany... rather, the Thruway cuts south (towards NYC and then with a different spur to head to the Mass Pike) along 87, and 90 east of Albany is free (mostly).

Making it free for everyone through Syracuse would make sense, but realistically wouldn't that be precisely why it wouldn't happen that way?

[Canerican]

It's not free in all of Buffalo either... only a short stretch, but there are some exits where you have to pay, mostly north of the city.

I honestly hate the whole concept of having to pay for to drive on a highway. You would think that with all the taxes we pay, that we could figure out a way to not charge already tax-burdened NYers to use our own roads.