At the end of last week, the Cuomo administration released preliminary estimates for the expected toll hikes on the new Tappan Zee Bridge. While current tolls are $3-$5, the fee for crossing the new bridge in 2017 would be approximately $8-$14. If the comments compiled by the Journal-News are any indication, Lower Hudson Valley residents are already worried about the potential financial burden of higher tolls with no new transportation choices.

Some of the region’s elected officials are also sounding off.

“The projected increases are excessive, especially without bus or mass transit. This will be a tremendous burden for lower income residents of both counties [as] well as for seniors and young people,” wrote Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, who is hosting a meeting next Wednesday about the proposed toll increase. Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell also pointed out the vital link between transit options and the toll.

This link is important because when individuals have been faced with higher tolls elsewhere in the region, in many cases, they have been able to turn to public transportation. In 2011, for example, the Delaware River Port Authority raised tolls on its crossings, and saw a simultaneous rise in ridership on PATCO, a transit system that connects Philadelphia to South Jersey, even though the PATCO system also saw a fare increase. That same year, during which the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raised tolls on its bridges, PATH ridership increased significantly. PANYNJ crossings saw a 4% reduction in vehicle traffic in the two months after the toll hike, compared to 2010 figures, while PATH ridership grew 3.7%.

Unfortunately for commuters along the Tappan Zee/I-287 corridor, the proposed toll hikes may not be coupled with a robust east-west transit option in Rockland and Westchester Counties. Existing transit service is clearly not sufficient, with hard-to-find scheduling information at bus depots and infrequent service that can cause timing issues, and Governor Cuomo has yet to commit to even modest improvements for transit riders (like the rush hour bus lanes that the administration promised earlier this summer).

This lack of commitment to transit means that commuters along the Tappan Zee corridor could have few options in the face of higher tolls. Governor Cuomo must do more to ensure that Lower Hudson Valley residents have transportation options.