Congressman Brian Higgins and New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan are calling on the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) to reconsider plans to close its existing E-ZPass Walk-In Center on Grand Island.
“What we have on Grand Island is a very unique situation where residents have no choice but to pay the tolls as they travel to and from their homes,” said Congressman Higgins. “If the Thruway Authority wants to remove the tolls at Grand Island we would certainly reconsider our position on this consolidation plan, but if they are going to continue to collect tolls at this crossing in Western New York then they should provide residents here with equal access to the services they provide in other portions of the state.”
"Unfortunately, Grand Island residents and those using the Grand Island bridges continue to have to pay tolls, and so long as those tolls are in place, an E-ZPass service center should remain open," said Assemblyman Ryan. "Grand Island residents should still continue to have an easily accessible E-ZPass service center, and the Thruway Authority needs to rethink this decision."
On May 8, the NYSTA announced that the Grand Island E-ZPass Walk-in Center is among three facilities in upstate New York that will go out of service on June 8. The NYSTA continues to maintain four Walk-In Centers in downstate New York.
In the month of February alone, more than 1.66 million vehicles crossed the North and South Grand Island Bridges combined. The Grand Island bridges saw a greater than 10% increase in vehicle trips over the last year – the highest increase in the state. In addition, according to the February NYSTA report, an E-ZPass is used on more than 68% of the trips.
Below is a copy of the letter sent by local leaders to the Thruway Authority:
May 10, 2012
The Honorable Howard Milstein, Board Chair
The Honorable Thomas J. Madison, Jr., Executive Director
New York State Thruway Authority
200 Southern Blvd.
PO Box 189
Albany, NY 12201-0189
RE: PROPOSED CLOSURE OF EZ-PASS WALK-IN CENTER ON GRAND ISLAND, NY
Dear Messrs. Milstein & Madison:
We write to express our deep concern about the proposed closure of the EZ-Pass Walk-In Center located at 2293 Grand Island Boulevard in Grand Island, NY. Given that this closure will leave no dedicated Walk-In Centers anywhere in upstate New York, and will place Grand Island, a uniquely situated town as it relates to tolls unlike any other due to it’s geography, we urge you to reconsider this decision, and at the very least delay the closure so that the residents of Grand Island may have a greater say in the decision.
As you know, Grand Island is that most unique of geographic entities in which there is no option for vehicular traffic but for the two bridges, north and south, that feed vehicular traffic onto and off of the island. We are concerned that NYSTA’s decision to close the sole stand-alone Walk-In Center that services Western New York is a decision that will result in substantially diminished services to the residents of this very unique town.
It appears that it is NYSTA’s belief that the decision to close the Walk-In Center is sufficiently mitigated in two areas: 1) that access to the internet and to the EZ-Pass website allows local residents sufficient ability to address their needs; and 2) that local residents may be sufficiently serviced by EZ-Pass “On the Go” locations in retail establishments located throughout the state. Respectfully, because the circumstances for Grand Island residents and businesses are so unique, it is our belief that these mitigations are insufficient.
Grand Island’s unique place as a residential and commercial governmental entity serviced by the Thruway has always gone noticed by NYSTA itself. NYSTA has taken note of the unique nature of the town by providing substantially discounted tolls to residents, business owners and frequent travelers to the Island. It is because of this unique nature that we believe that the idea of closing the only Walk-In Center staffed by trained NYSTA personnel should be revisited.
NYSTA’s own statistics bear out the increased use of EZ-Pass on the Grand Island bridges. Year to year analysis from 2011 to 2012 show a double-digit increase in traffic on both bridges, with EZ Pass revenue on both bridges seeing a slight increase. The message continues to get through to residents and business owners to use the service. With usage and revenue both on the rise, this is not the time to reduce access to customer service – particularly to a community who when crossing the town limits of Grand Island must utilize NYSTA resources.
Leaving the entirety of upstate New York without an EZ Pass Walk-In Center is also problematic. While limiting these centers only to downstate communities would raise concerns for any upstate community, it is doubly of concern to residents in Western New York – upstate’s largest metropolitan area – and the home to this very specifically unique town whose residents are forced to pay tolls to return to their homes after their workdays.
Accordingly, we are asking that the NYSTA board reconsider the decision to close the Grand Island Walk-In Center. At minimum, we ask that the decision be delayed so that the residents of Grand Island may have a greater say in this decision. We understand the need for government – and particularly for public authorities – to continue efforts to reduce costs. But it is essential that the public – be they workers, business owners, senior citizens or anyone else – have access to basic services.
We eagerly await your reply, and thank you in advance for your kind consideration of the foregoing.
Sincerely,
Brian Higgins
MEMBER OF CONGRESS
Sean Ryan
MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY
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