By Forum Staff
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels and the City Police Department, along with regional law enforcement partners, on Friday announced the results of last three August interagency task force operations to remove ghost vehicles and crack down on persistent toll violators.
In August, officers impounded a total of 68 vehicles at operations held at MTA and City crossings including the Verrazzano-Narrows, Bronx-Whitestone, Robert F. Kennedy, Cross Bay and Third Ave. bridges.
Through 38 operations, scofflaws had amassed almost $20 million in unpaid tolls and fees, judgments, and debts. The operations also resulted in 463 arrests and 19,000 summonses issued.
On Monday, Aug. 19, an enforcement operation took place at the Bronx-Whitestone bridge, which resulted in nine arrests, 68 impounded vehicles, and 652 summonses.
On Saturday, Aug. 24, an enforcement operation took place at the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge which resulted in three arrests, 26 impounded vehicles and 354 summonses.
On Friday, Aug. 30, an enforcement operation took place at the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge which resulted in six arrests, 38 impounded vehicles and 531 summonses.
Vehicles impounded were for a number of violations including suspended registrations unpaid tolls, unregistered vehicles, and suspended licenses among other traffic infractions.
A new law that went into effect on Sept. 1 supports MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ efforts to pursue payment from persistent toll violators who use MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ crossings, with the Top 10 violators collectively owing $3.6 million – an average of $360,000 each in unpaid tolls and violation fees.
The first wave of 500 Judgement Warning Notices were mailed on Aug. 2 to each vehicle owner who is part of a group that collectively owes $53 million in unpaid tolls and violation fees – an average of $106,000 each in unpaid tolls and violation fees.
More than 20,000 notices were mailed on Aug. 9. In September, the MTA plans to begin a weekly program of mailings in batches of 5,000 to persistent toll violators who have escalated to a Judgment Warning Notice.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels, through tolls and fees collected, has recovered more than 98% of the tolls owed by recidivist toll scofflaws since the inception of its participation in the DMV Registration Suspension Program.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels uses tools to identify violators and interdict vehicles, including:
- DMV registration suspensions
- Roadside interdictions
- Data-driven intelligence to continuously identify persistent toll violators
This enforcement aligns with a coordinated strategy by MTA Bridges and Tunnels and City and State law enforcement partners, who announced a joint effort against obstructed and counterfeit license plates last year. According to the MTA, since the start of Open Road Tolling, Bridge and Tunnel officers have interdicted more than 11,000 vehicles for persistent non-payment of tolls.
“Our Bridge and Tunnel Officers have worked with our regional partners to make it abundantly clear that the use of ghost plates to avoid paying tolls will not be tolerated,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan. “Don’t risk losing your car by breaking the law. Pay your tolls.”
