Upon our return home, Joe always checks our E-ZPass charges and noticed a $31.97 charge for crossing the Mario Coumo Bridge in New York on June 1.  The toll appeared to be excessive so he filed a toll dispute with E-ZPass. 

Unexpectedly, he received an email response within an hour. 

If our E-ZPass transponder had been issued by New York State, our toll would have been $19.41.  However, because our E-Z pass transponder is not issued by New York State, the Thruway Authority, which manages the bridge, charged us $33.97 .

It’s not unusual to pay a higher tolls than passenger vehicles when driving an RV but this is the first time that we are aware of that we were charged a higher toll because we are not state residents.

Indeed, we expect to pay more than a passenger car. RV’s and other large vehicles weight more and consequently cause more wear and tear on the highway than a passenger vehicle. In Pennsylvania—which considers only the weight of the vehicle—our van is considered a class 2 (7,000-15,000 lbs) and we pay roughly 50% higher tolls than passenger cars on the PA Turnpike. Of note, Pennsylvania charges the same fee regardless of the E-ZPass issuing state.

New York State considers only the number of axles and whether the vehicle is taller than 7’6” (not weight) in its toll calculation.  Maybe those two criteria are a good enough proxy for weight. But why charge higher tolls just because the transponder was not issued by the state of New York?  Is it because E-ZPass makes this possible?

Adding insult to injury, we had absolutely no advanced warning of the exorbitant amount we would be charged for crossing the former governor’s bridge. Welcome to New York: Experience, explore, enjoy….and, oh yes, if you’re from out-of-state, expect to pay significantly higher tolls!