Last week, New York State Senator David Carlucci proposed a $250 state tax credit for toll-paying commuters in New York state.

 The state has the nation’s highest tolls and the costs can be “crushing,” Carlucci said. His plan would be the first of its kind in the state.

“If you look at someone’s overall costs of living in the Hudson Valley, for middle-class families a large portion of their income has to go to just getting to work,” Carlucci, D-New City, told The Journal News on Thursday. “We’ve got to work at lowering all of these costs.”

The Senator’s statement, however, does not seem to comport with the facts. According to a recent Thruway Authority report, tolls in the Hudson Valley and in upstate New York are actually quite low compared to what drivers pay on toll roads in other states:

More specifically with respect to Tappan Zee Bridge tolls, a commuter with EZPass pays $3 per day or $720 per year to commute to work. This is significantly lower than the tolls at the Port Authority Hudson River crossings and much lower than what transit commuters must pay, including those in Carlucci’s district:

(Source: Tri-State Transportation Campaign)

Even the daily round-trip cost for the only east-west commuting option -– the Tappan Zee Express bus -– is higher than the bridge toll, despite contributing substantially less to the wear and tear of the bridge than the 120,000 daily vehicle trips using the crossing.

Nobody doubts that Carlucci wants to do what’s in the best interests of his constituents, but a toll subsidy for motorists is the last thing his constituents and New Yorkers need. Adding incentives for driving through reduced toll costs will only add to the congestion that is a growing problem in Rockland County — not to mention negative environmental, economic and quality of life impacts that come with choosing driving over transit.

Instead of advancing this legislation, Senator Carlucci and other local and state leaders should be looking at ways to truly help improve their constituents quality of life and pocketbooks. He can start by offering options to pay for better transit service in the region, such as improved bus service along the I-287/Tappan Zee Bridge corridor, calling on Congress to restore parity for the transit commuter benefit, and being a champion for the Bergen Loop, which would directly benefit his constituents by creating a one seat ride to Midtown Manhattan.