I am here to add my voice, not as an individual-- but as the elected representative of the over 500,000 thousand individuals who possess drivers' licenses in Erie County-- to the call for the elimination of Thruway tolls in the Buffalo area.

     Tolls within the commuting range of Buffalo amount to nothing short of a commuter tax on residents-except the money gets sent to Albany, rather than staying in the local community. Commuters must pay coming in from the northeastern boundaries of the county at the Williamsville toll barrier. Commuters pay coming from the south and west at the Lackawanna barrier. Commuters living on Grand Island pay. And what amounts to an admission fee to travel into the City of Buffalo, commuters pay at the Ogden St and the Black Rock barriers

     Tolls not only add an average of $100 to $200 per year to travel for Buffalo-area commuters, but the time factor must be considered as well. Motorists are frustrated by the delay in getting to work caused by the existence of tolls. Customers at our four Auto Bureaus regularly complain about the inequity of having to pay tolls compared with other urban areas in the State. No doubt the Thruway Authority will point to the E-Z pass as the solution to this problem, but the lines still exist and confusion runs rampant when lines are crowded and vehicles enter the wrong lane. The removal of the correct change lanes, forcing motorists into pre-paying E-Z passes for the privilege of using the Thruway, was ill conceived and has only exacerbated the frustration felt by daily commuters.

     Highway safety is another issue adversely impacted by the presence of tolls. Because the County Clerk's office issues drivers' licenses, effectively putting people on the roadways, I am deeply concerned about safety on our highways. The existence of tolls has artificially raised the number of trucks and motor vehicles on secondary roads, like Rt. 20 and Rt. 5 in Hamburg and Evans, as well as the inbound Rt. 33. Preliminary reports show that the I-190 has a higher number of vehicles traveling out of the city because the tolls at the Ogden St. barrier are only collected on the inbound traffic.

     You as members of the GBNRTC know that a study was initiated in January 1999, and was scheduled to be complete one year later in January 2000. A three and one half year delay is unacceptable at best and unconscionable at worst. This delay demonstrates a complete disregard for the public officials who have fought for this study in the past, as well a disturbing lack of respect for the half million motorists I represent.

     The study must be released now, followed by public hearings and discussion and ultimately the removal of tolls from within the commuting range of Buffalo. This region cannot tolerate any more delay.

     To demonstrate the regional support for the removal of local tolls, I am initiating a petition drive at the four Auto Bureaus, as well as within the City and neighboring towns. This is a regional issue that unifies City and suburbs toward a common goal--equitable treatment of the Buffalo metropolitan area by the NYS Thruway Authority. Tolls were to be gone completely in the last century-1996. Let no more time be wasted as we right the wrongs of the past as we move forward into the next century.

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