Published: February 23, 2008 12:42 am      

TOLLS: Alternative route for Grand Island

Lawmakers back transfer of I-190 from Thruway to DOT

Despite decades of fruitless efforts to remove tolls from the Grand Island bridges, a new approach emerged Friday that calls for the transfer of the I-190 — and the bridges — to the state DOT.

“Transferring the I-190 to the Department of Transportation makes sense because the I-190 is not part of the mainline Thruway,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo.

Along with state Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, Hoyt said it’s time for the 21 miles of the I-190 to become part of the state DOT.

Thruway Authority board member Jeff Williams of Lewiston — on hand Friday for the press conference at Grand Island Town Hall — agreed with the legislation introduced in the state Senate and Assembly.

“I think it’s an important step for the state government and the authorities to put back in the right buckets the things they should be running,” he said.

Williams said the Thruway Authority should not be operating the I-190 nor the canal system.

Town Supervisor Peter McMahon said he’s hopeful the new approach — and co-sponsorships in the Assembly and Senate — will get the legislation passed.

Maziarz agreed.

“I just spoke with the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Tom Libous, last night, and he’s on board with this,” said Maziarz after the press conference. “That’s a huge first step.”

Maziarz said he expects to see progress with this bill within the next three weeks. “At least on the Senate side,” he said.

The bridges cost about $9 million a year to operate, according to estimates, Maziarz said. However, the Authority collected more than $22 million in Grand Island Bridge tolls in 2006, he said.

“These unnecessary tolls puts residents, commuters and business owners on Grand Island at a financial disadvantage,” Maziarz said.

Also on hand was Islander Rus Thompson, who several times was singled out for his dedication to the GI tolls removal effort.

“I want to thank Rus Thompson for allowing us to come to his press conference,” Hoyt said at the beginning of his comments.

Thompson has been operating the NoGItolls.com online petition and has collected 8,428 signatures, so far, in favor of ending the tolls.

It was Thompson’s idea to give the I-190 to the state DOT, he said during a phone call to Maziarz on a talk radio program.

“A few days later, I sent him a ton of information, and on Jan. 18, he sent me a rough draft of the legislation asking if this is what I wanted,” he said.

“It’s funny me giving approval to a senator,” he said. But he believes that’s what happened. “We have a ton of support for this,” he said.

If the state Assembly and Senate both pass the legislation, it would then be up to Gov. Eliot Spitzer to make it happen.

“He’s talked about putting a billion dollars into the Western New York economy,” Thompson said.

“If he really wants to show that he cares, this would be one huge step,” he said.

“He could expedite this,” Thompson said. “He could make this happen in no time.”