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For Immediate Release: 06/24/19

Contact: Office of Media Relations and Communications | (518) 471-5300 | public.info@thruway.ny.gov

THRUWAY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF CASHLESS TOLLING CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE SESSIONS
AT WNY WELCOME CENTER TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS BEGINNING JUNE 27
Thruway Authority Staff to Offer Personalized Assistance to Customers to Address Accounts, Toll Bills, Violations and More
Additional Sessions Follow Successful Event in May Where the Thruway Helped Nearly 100 Customers and Sold 30 E-ZPass Tags

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced that new Cashless Tolling Customer Assistance Sessions will begin at the WNY Welcome Center in Grand Island starting Thursday, June 27. Thruway Authority staff will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the Summer months (excluding Thursday, July 4) to offer customers an opportunity to receive personalized assistance on cashless tolling bills, violations, E-ZPass and Tolls By Mail accounts, and more.

The Western NY Welcome Center is located at 1999 Alvin Road in Grand Island and is accessible from the Niagara Thruway (I-190) exit 19 (Whitehaven Road) via Alvin Road.
The announcement of additional sessions follows the successful Cashless Tolling Customer Outreach Event on May 15, 2019 where Thruway Authority personnel assisted nearly 100 customers with their cashless tolling accounts and sold 30 E-ZPass On-the-Go Tags.

“During the Cashless Tolling Outreach Event in May, we heard an overwhelming appeal from Western New Yorker’s to hold more opportunities for customers to address their cashless tolling needs in person and we listened,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said. “We are extending this unique opportunity with our customers in mind so they will be able to quickly and conveniently get their questions answered and learn more about cashless tolling and we welcome everyone to take advantage of these upcoming sessions.”
Beginning Thursday, June 27, Thruway Authority staff will be on-hand at the Western NY Welcome Center from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to address cashless tolling questions and offer personalized assistance for E-ZPass and Tolls By Mail customers. Customers will be able to:

  • Resolve violations resulting from unpaid toll bills
  • Pay toll bills
  • Dispute toll bills
  • Update E-ZPass account information
  • Learn about Cashless Tolling on the Thruway system-wide by the end of 2020
  • And more

Customers will also have the opportunity to sign up for E-ZPass, the easiest and most convenient way to pay tolls on the Thruway and 16 states across the country. E-ZPass tags are available at the Taste NY Café and Market at the Western NY Welcome Center everyday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
As Governor Cuomo announced in his 2018 State of the State address, cashless tolling will be implemented on the entire New York State Thruway system by the end of 2020. Cashless tolling is already operational at the Thruway’s seven fixed-price barriers in the lower Hudson Valley region and the Grand Island Bridges in Western New York which accounts for more than 40 percent of the Thruway’s yearly traffic. 

Cashless tolling is a state-of-the-art system where motorists drive under gantries with sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass Tags and take license plate images. Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags will have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of each vehicle. Customers without E-ZPass pay using Tolls By Mail.

In preparation for cashless tolling system-wide by the end of 2020, the New York State Thruway Authority encourages all drivers to sign up for New York E-ZPass. Anyone, regardless of residency, can sign up for a New York E-ZPass Tag and will save 5 percent on each trip on the Thruway.

E-ZPass Tags are sold at more than 800 locations across that state including Thruway Service Areas, select cash toll lanes, local grocery and convenience stores and municipal locations, New York State DMVs, and online. To find a retailer near you, go to thruway.ny.gov/getezpass.

It is also important for all motorists to keep their registration address updated at the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). New York State law requires residents to keep their registration address current with the DMV to ensure bills are mailed to the proper owner. Drivers must update their address with the DMV within 10 days of moving. Drivers can update their address with the DMV by going to MyDMV. 

For comprehensive information on how cashless tolling works and tips on how to pay bills on time, visit the Thruway Authority’s website at thruway.ny.gov. 

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