By Dan Murphy
The proposed “toll war” between the states of New York and Connecticut continue, with Ct. Gov. Ned Lamont continuing to pursue a proposal to put a toll on a 1-mile stretch of Interstate -684 just north of White Plains, heading north to the Westchester Airport and the Town of North Castle. And while the Connecticut State Legislature will consider the tolls as part of its budget plan, here in Westchester, several New York State legislators have proposed, or threatened, additional tolls for Connecticut residents heading into Westchester on six roadways that connect to the neighboring state.
The biggest advocate for new New York tolls has been State Sen. Peter Harckham, who proposed the new tolls last month at a press conference where he said, “Nobody wants a toll war” – but that was exactly what he did propose.
We get what Harckham is doing. By proposing tolls at the NY-CT border in northern Westchester, he is trying to call Connecticut’s bluff and represent the 40th Senate District that includes the portions where tolls are being proposed on both sides of the state borders.
But Harckham’s strategy, which has been endorsed by several other Westchester elected officials on the local and state level, is a dangerous game that should not be played at all, in our view.
The six county roads that Harckham’s plain would erect tolls on include Route 116 in North Salem, Route 35 in Lewisboro, Route 137 in Pound Ridge, Route 123 in Vista, Long Ridge Road in Pound Ridge, Bedford-Banksville Road in North Castle, and Long Ridge Road and Bedford-Banksville Road. And there’s another proposed site for a toll – on the Merrit Parkway at the Hutchinson Parkway intersection.
These are not the old fashion tolls booths, which are a thing of the past, but the E-Z Pass-style tolls.
The new tolls would scan the license plates of cars and charge out-of-state vehicles, like those in Connecticut. Other “out of state” drivers, like those from New Jersey or Massachusetts, would just fall victims to the new tolls, from no fault of their own or their state’s governments, who are not involved in this dispute.
“We don’t want it to come to this, but if so, I am willing to and prepared to submit legislation that would put tolls all along the Connecticut border so that we can pay for infrastructure repairs,” said Harckham. “It strikes me and many others as particularly galling that Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and other Connecticut officials are going ahead with putting a toll in place on the small 1.4-mile stretch of I-684 that crosses into Connecticut to pay for roadway infrastructure repairs in Connecticut.”
The tolls proposed by Connecticut are for trucks only, but even if car drivers, commuters and families don’t have to pay the toll, do we really want any tolls placed on any New York roadways? Would the two wrongs, proposed by Lamont and Harckham, make this right?
Four local elected officials – Lewisboro Supervisor Peter Parsons and Pound Ridge Supervisor Kevin Hansan, Assemblyman and Congressional candidate David Buchwald and Bedford Supervisor Chris Burdick – all support Harckham’s plan.
Three other elected officials – North Salem Supervisor Warren Lucas, Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman and Pound Ridge Supervisor Kevin Hansan – oppose the tolls. Those who stand opposed do so for the same reasons our newspapers do: We don’t want any Westchester drivers or residents paying for new tolls (if they drive a truck), or waiting in line for a toll they don’t have to pay.
“It’s stupid,” said Zuckerman. “I’m opposed to having New York residents pay to travel on the Hutchinson River Parkway. The tolls were removed years ago for good reason.”
Escalating tensions between two opposing sides is a 50-50 proposition: sometimes it works to bring both sides together to come to an agreement. But sometimes it leads to continued and further escalation. We would rather not take the risk.
Another voice of reason through this issue, as he usually is with most issues, is County Executive George Latimer, who knows a bit about Albany after his service in the Assembly and in the same State Senate where Harckham’s proposal will come from. Latimer said: “All bad ideas… We say no toll on 684.”
We agree – no new tolls.
