Targeted Enforcement Efforts on Bronx-Whitestone Bridge Results in Record 28 Interdictions; 32 Interdictions Made Agencywide in 24-Hour Period
Bridges and Tunnels Officers Remanded Nearly 1,800 Vehicles for Unpaid Tolls in 2022
View Photos of Interdicted Vehicles
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that its Bridge and Tunnel officers stopped and towed a record 32 vehicles agencywide, including 28 New York State persistent toll violators at the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, in 24 hours. The 28 interdictions at the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, marks a new record for one day at a single facility.
The scofflaws accounted for nearly $900,000, in unpaid tolls and fees.
“Thanks to all Bridge and Tunnel departments for their coordination in this revenue protection effort, and this banner day goes a long way towards securing revenue that is reallocated to support MTA mass transit,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Daniel F. DeCrescenzo Jr. “Drivers must understand, if they do not pay their toll, they may be subject to registration suspension and loss of their vehicle.”
“Everyday Bridge and Tunnel officers are out there keeping the public safe and protecting the revenue,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels Vice President & Chief of Operations Richard L. Hildebrand II. “Interdicting these 32 vehicles in 24 hours, is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our officers out in the field.”
Bridge and Tunnel Officers’ vehicles are equipped with specialized license plate readers that can identify motorists who are operating vehicles with a suspended registration due to unpaid tolls.
Bridges and Tunnels, through tolls and fees collected, has recovered nearly 90% of the tolls owed by recidivist toll scofflaws whose NYS vehicle registrations were suspended due to toll evasion since the inception of the DMV Registration Suspension Program in advance of the conversion to open road tolling.
This enforcement aligns with a coordinated strategy by the MTA and city and state law enforcement partners, who announced a joint effort against obstructed and counterfeit license plates last year. In 2022, Bridges and Tunnels remanded nearly 1,800 vehicles for unpaid tolls. Since the start of Open Road Tolling Bridge and Tunnel officers have interdicted more than 7,600 vehicles for persistent non-payment of tolls.
Bridges and Tunnels encompasses interdepartmental strategies for recovering tolls owed which include:
- DMV registration suspensions
- Robust roadside interdictions
- Data-driven intelligence to continuously identify persistent toll violators
Motorists can avoid violation fees and registration suspensions by paying their toll bills on time, using the award-winning Tolls NY free mobile application to pay tolls or manage their E-ZPass accounts. E-ZPass NY Customer Service Center account holders can save up to 40% at MTA tolled crossings by using E-ZPass. To set up an E-ZPass account or for more information, visit: www.ezpassny.com. NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law prohibits any covering or coating that intentionally conceals, obscures, or distorts an image of license plates.