Rockland County To Get First Thruway High-speed E-z Pass

New York State Senator Thomas P. Morahan announced that work has begun on the implementation of the first New York State Thruway highway speed E-ZPass lanes at the existing Spring Valley Toll Barrier, Rockland County. The initiative will allow commercial E-ZPass customers to drive through the area without so much as slowing down to pay a toll by December 2006.

Commercial customers with E-ZPass who have had to pull off the highway to the right to pay their toll at Spring Valley will now enjoy enhanced service and improved traffic flow when the highway speed lanes are open later this year.

"I am pleased that the NYS Thruway selected Rockland County for this initiative.It is the first Highway Speed E-ZPass location along the Thruway that will enable commercial customers traveling at highway speeds to safely separate themselves from the Toll Plaza lanes. They will be able to travel through the area while electronically paying their toll," said Senator Morahan

This initiative would allow the current plaza, located at Thruway milepost 24.31 northbound in Rockland County, to continue operation as it does today until testing is completed, then the open highway structure would function as both a live open highway E-ZPass plaza and a test facility. The project would eliminate the need for bypass enforcement, provide a development and test facility for open highway E-ZPass, and provide an open highway E-ZPass plaza for commercial vehicles (non-2L vehicles). Currently, only commercial vehicles are required to stop at the Spring Valley Toll Barrier.

The Senator noted that the Spring Valley is the first step into future highway speed E-ZPass projects along the Thruway. The Thruway Authority also plans to begin work on highway speed E-ZPass at the Woodbury Toll Barrier in Orange County in 2007.

As demonstrated by other entities currently utilizing this enhanced service, Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes can process significantly more vehicles than staffed toll lanes. For example, Highway Speed E-ZPass is predicted to eventually service up to 75 percent of traffic passing through a toll plaza during peak travel times.

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