BILL NUMBER: S13
SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to a rebate for
residents of Kings county who frequently commute across the Verrazzano-
Narrows bridge
 
PURPOSE:
To provide Kings County residents who, in a month, make at least ten
trips across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge using their E-Z Pass with the
same discount that is available to Staten Island residents.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of this bill adds a new section 553-I to the Public Authori-
ties Law to provide that any resident of Kings County who, in a month,
make at least ten trips across the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge using a New
York customer service E-Z Pass account will receive the same discount
provided to Staten Island residents who makes at least three trips
across the bridge in a month using a New York customer service E-Z Pass
account. Additionally, this discount program does not apply to vehicles
that are used for commercial purposes_
Section two of this bill provides that this act shall take effect on the
thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Many full-time employees work more than 250 days in one year. For those
Kings County residents who need to use the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge to
get to work each work day; commuting costs include more than simply gas,
vehicle wear and tear and parking. Their commuting costs include at
least $4250 for the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge toll, which, at $17, makes
it the most expensive toll bridge in the Country.
Our citizens who need to use the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge to earn their
livelihood should not have to pay these outrageously high tolls simply
because they need to get to and from work. This bill will allow them to
keep more of their hard-earned wages by reducing the toll for crossing
the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022: S762 - Referred to Transportation
2021: S762 - Referred to Transportation
2020: S4490 - Referred to Transportation
2019: S4490 - Passed Senate, died in Assembly
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.