A group of truck drivers have sued the New York State Thruway Authority, claiming that the tolls prices commercial drivers are charged are excessive and ultimately force higher consumer prices.
The suit highlights the fact that 12% of all toll revenues, roughly $100 million dollars a year, is spent on New York City’s Canal System. The Canals were once an important trade route, but have since “faded into obsolescence” according to the suit, and are now just a tourist attraction funded by toll revenue.
The lawsuit was originally dismissed in lower-court, as the New York constitution requires the state to financially support the canals. However, an Appeals court just allowed the case to reopen due to the fact that the New York State Thruway Authority is not a state run entity, but a self-funded public organization and not protected by the states’ immunity according to ABC News.
An attorney for the truck drivers, Richard Katskee, commented on the case, “Anyone who drives a car or a truck knows that the infrastructure is crumbling. Tolls are supposed to be used to keep them safe and in good repair and that’s where the money ought to go.”