The New York State Senate passed legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Frank Padavan (R,C - Bellerose), that would prohibit agencies that administer E-ZPass in New York State from charging monthly surcharges. The bill was a response to complaints from motorists in and around the city that they were being charged a monthly $1 administrative service fee.

Three different agencies authorize E-ZPass within the state, the New York State Thruway Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The Port Authority and the MTA charge the $1 fee, the Thruway does not.

"E-ZPass is supposed to ease the burdens our motorists already feel. People who travel into and out of the city know how expensive it can get to drive and an additional, unnecessary fee is the last thing anybody needs," Senator Padavan said. "Currently, E-ZPass is sitting on a $1 billion surplus, so why do they need to charge our motorists this foolish fee? It's crazy and now is the time to end it."

According to the MTA's website, the $1 monthly account service fee was instituted last summer to "help defray the administrative costs of managing our customer's E-ZPass accounts." MTA estimates that the monthly surcharge generates $13.2 million annually. The MTA recently announced that it had a budget surplus of over $1 billion.

The bill was sent to the Assembly after being passed in the Senate.

Padavan concluded, "I hope the Assembly leadership sees the importance of this bill and takes immediate action on it. As they say, a dollar saved is a dollar earned."