The MTA Seized 63 Vehicles From Persistent Toll Evaders in New York

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is taking action against the growing trend in the New York City area of drivers evading tolls with obscured or counterfeit license plates. Along with the city’s public transportation system, the MTA operates seven bridges and two tunnels entirely within the city’s boundaries. These crossings don’t have toll booths and rely on photographing license plates for vehicles without an electronic E-ZPass tag.

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The MTA announced that its Bridge and Tunnel Officers stopped and seized 63 vehicles registered to alleged persistent toll violators over two days of targeted enforcement. According to the agency, the vehicle owners owe over $1.5 million in unpaid tolls and fees. The crackdown took place on April 6th at the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge and on April 11th at the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge, which links Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Richard L. Hildebrand II, MTA Bridges and Tunnels Vice President & Chief of Operations, said in a statement:

“In a perfect world, everyone pays their tolls – their fair share. If you pay your tolls, we won’t have to recommend DMV suspend your registration. Bridge and Tunnel Officers are on the lookout for persistent toll violators and the bottom line is if you use fake plates, you may be arrested and if you don’t pay your tolls, we will pull you over and have your vehicle towed.”

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In New York State, the Department of Motor Vehicles can suspend a vehicle’s registration if the owner has three or more violations for failing to pay tolls or a violation for an amount of more than $200 within a five-year period. From there, law enforcement officers use specialized license plate readers to identify drivers crossing a bridge with a suspended license. The MTA has recovered more than 90% of the tolls owed by toll evaders since the inception of the DMV Registration Suspension Program.

The Georgia license plate in question.Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA

During the two days of targeted enforcement, the MTA also stopped and arrested a driver for attempting to cross the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge with an allegedly fake Georgia license plate on his Mercedes-Benz SUV. The MTA has stopped 1,800 vehicles for persistently evading tolls over the past year and recovered tens of millions of dollars.