NYACK — State Sen. David Carlucci, D-New City, stood with Nyack Mayor Jen White, John Corlett, Chairman of the Legislative Committee for AAA New York State, Mike Hekker of the Nyack River Club and employees of the club to announce a new first of its kind toll relief plan specifically designed to ease the burden for commuters traveling throughout our area.
NY State Senator David Carlucci plans to propose a tax credit to help commuters pay for all those those — both bridge and thruway. “Making sure they can afford to get to work should be a priority this legislative session,” said Sen. Carlucci at a recent press conference that included Nyack Mayor Jen White.
The tax credit can be used by commuters who travel through any of New York’s bridges and tolls throughout the state — and designed to not only ease the burden for New Yorkers but help increase economic development throughout the area.
Nearly 9 million residents throughout New York commute to work and pay a toll every single day. Tens of thousands travel across the New York State Thruway and use the Tappan Zee bridge. Annual costs for tolls across the Tappan Zee exceed $720 a year. With the construction of the New Tappan Zee bridge these costs are only expected to rise.
Currently, the only other benefit provided for commuting is a federal benefit that does not include tolls and was recently scaled down in size.
“Creating a new and innovative tax credit for commuters who use tolls is another way to keep the Hudson Valley affordable. Commuters are the life force of our small businesses throughout the area,” Carlucci said. “Making sure they can afford to get to work should be a priority this legislative session.”
Carlucci: Until mass transit options improve, local commuters should get help
Nyack Mayor Jen White appeared with Sen. David Carlucci to promote a proposed commuter tax credit / Nyack Free Press
“Any relief commuters can get during these difficult times is a tremendous help,” said Mayor White. “In Rockland County which suffers from a serious lack of mass transit there is no way to get to work at any of the major job centers to valuable jobs without paying a substantial toll. Until the mass transit options increase and improve a toll credit would be particularly helpful to our residents.”
According to the New York State Thruway authority tolls on the Tappan Zee Bridge scan over 500,000 commuter EZ passes every month, over 5 million annually. The Harriman toll which is also located in our area scans over 110,000 monthly commuters and 1,257,192 commuters annually.
Carlucci and his colleagues plan on creating a toll tax credit that will give these drivers relief from their commuting expenses. The income tax credit will be available for drivers who must pay a toll as part of their daily commute. A commuter would be able to claim credit up to $250 per person.
For those married and filing jointly, the $250 credit maximum can be claimed for each spouse, as long as each spouse commutes separately and incurs these costs individually. The credit would be implemented beginning in the 2014 Income Tax year.
John A. Corlett, chairman of the Legislative Committee for AAA New York State said that as tolls in the New York Metropolitan Area continue to escalate, commuters are having a harder time making ends meet.”
Corlett noted that MTA Bridge and Tunnel tolls cost commuters about $2,600 per year. Further, in September 2011, the Port Authority on New York & New Jersey implemented the first of five unprecedented toll hikes. Peak E-Z Pass tolls on facilities such as the George Washington Bridge will increase by more than 10% every year until December 2015 when a one way peak bridge toll will be $12.50.
Mike Hekker of the Nyack River Club said, “The River Club conducts our entire business on people’s extra money. The price of gas and the cost of commuting is a big expense for our customers and employees. Since the recession we are all working harder for less money.”
Photos courtesy of Nyack Free Press.
