In what is probably an unprecedented move, the MTA announced it will be cutting fines for drivers who evade tolls on the agency’s bridges and tunnels in half beginning in September, bringing the bill down to $50 from its current cost of $100, Gothamist reported.
This change, which MTA Bridges and Tunnels is set to be finalized on Wednesday, codifies legislation passed by the Albany lawmakers in April as part of a larger program designed to crack down on toll evaders, which was meant to also include the planned congestion pricing toll that was paused in June.
MTA spokesperson Joana Flores told Gothamist part of the cost change will help the MTA match its fine amounts with the Port Authority.
Drivers who fail to pay to cross the the Bronx-Whitestone, Triborough, Throgs Neck, Verrazano-Narrows bridges, as well as the Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels, will be charged the bill. If and when Gov. Kathy Hochul resumes the congestion pricing toll, those who ignore it will also pay the $50 fine.
The legislation also encourages state officials to revoke the vehicle registration of drivers who regularly evade the MTA’s tolls.
This fine reduction comes as police continuously crack down on drivers who consistently don’t pay tolls, with many of them covering or obscuring their license plates to evade automated cameras that enforce tolls at bridges and tunnels. According to the NYPD, drivers who use fake plates often have stacks of outstanding bills.
Earlier this month, Hochul said that an MTA crackdown on toll evaders had resulted in 339 arrests, more than 12,000 summonses, and 1,5000 vehicles being impounded. Overall, she said those drivers owe more than $12.5 million in unpaid tolls and late fees.
David Moretti, a former executive vice president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, told Gothamist the reduction of the fines is likely intended to motivate toll evaders to pay them more often.
“The purpose of the toll agency is very simple: it’s to pay the toll when you cross the bridge. They don’t want to have to collect,” Moretti said. “It’s one last step. It’s a long process to go after people.”
