Editorial: New Tappan Zee, higher toll
A preliminary rendering of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The final design will be selected when the State accepts a bid for the bridge's construction. Credit: Handout
$14 -- That's the round-trip cash toll that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration projects autos without discounts will pay to cross a new Tappan Zee Bridge, starting in 2017. The $5.2-billion sticker price for a new crossing may not register with drivers, but a near-tripling of the existing $5 round-trip toll for those without a commuter sticker or E-ZPass surely will. Using the George Washington Bridge as an alternative won't be the answer; that's expected to reach $15 in 2015. And repairing the bridge would require a $12 toll. Better to have a new one.
