The MTA has reported over $5.1 billion in unpaid tolls and fees in the last four years, resulting in a reliance on new congestion pricing to recover losses. The agency struggles with cashless tolling due to issues like obscured license plates and state enforcement challenges. While the MTA claims 96% annual toll collection, a significant portion of tolls remains unpaid and will soon approach $2 billion yearly. This situation highlights a breakdown in the social contract, where law-abiding users bear the costs of toll evaders.
It's hard to think of a more fundamental breach of the social contract: The MTA - or, rather, its political masters in Albany - is charging the law-abiding more because it's unable to collect its due cut from scofflaws.
After stonewalling our reporters for a week, the MTA is rushing to explain things aren't that bad, but it did in fact cite the $5.1 billion figure as it looked to hire bill collectors.
As for the MTA's damage control: Its bridges-and-tunnels chief assures The Post that 96% of tolls are collected each year, and roughly half of unpaid tolls get collected eventually.
The agency is quietly advertising a need to collect unpaid bills that will soon approach $2 billion a year.
Collection
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