Buffalo -- Congressman Brian Higgins Friday called on New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, to conduct a comprehensive audit of the New York State Thruway Authority, with a particular focus on Authority expenses.  This comes after a Freedom of Information Law request sent by the congressman to the Authority on September 25, 2007 remains unacknowledged.  According to a June audit by the Comptroller, the NYSTA has a history of non-compliance with FOIL requests. 

 “If this Authority, charged with serving the public, has nothing to hide then they need to open their books and allow the public to see where our tolls are going,” said Higgins.  “This new proposal to increase tolls, combined with the toll increase a year and a half ago, would mean a 45 percent toll increase in just five years.  If expenses are growing at this astonishing rate, we need better oversight.”

The Authority justified the 2005 toll increase on the need to support a $2.6 billion statewide capital improvement plan.  According to the Capital plan released in 2004, the Authority planned to let $132.4 million in contracts in the Buffalo division in 2007.  As of late September the Authority let less than $7 million so far this year. 

“When the Thruway Authority raised tolls the last time they promised specific investments in Western New York infrastructure, many of which never occurred,” said Higgins.  “If the toll money isn’t going into the local projects the Authority committed to, what exactly are local toll payers paying for?  It appears that the Thruway Authority can’t be trusted.  Western New Yorkers deserve some answers.”