NYSDOT, Thruway Authority, Bridge Authority could merge

[Dougtone]

New York's Bridge and Thruway authorities would be folded into the New York State Department of Transportation if the state acts on preliminary suggestions from a government efficiency task force.  Under the proposal, the New York State Thruway Authority would merge with the much smaller New York State Bridge Authority (servicing those Mid-Hudson River Bridges between the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge), and both would work under the same leadership team as the Department of Transportation.

I did not read anything about the MTA being part of the merger.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Plan-offers-road-to-transportation-cost-cuts-2419052.php

[froggie]

The related question I've seen come up (of which I admittedly haven't looked for an answer) is how has it worked for MassDOT since the Massachusetts Turnpike was rolled into the DOT a few years ago?

[J N Winkler]

The related question I've seen come up (of which I admittedly haven't looked for an answer) is how has it worked for MassDOT since the Massachusetts Turnpike was rolled into the DOT a few years ago?

I haven't seen any studies of efficiency savings from the MassDOT merger, but my own informal impression is that any savings realized are likely to have come from consolidation of executive leadership positions.  Although the Massachusetts Turnpike is now in theory just another MassDOT engineering district on the same level as the former MassHighway districts, it still has its own offices in Weston and its own document registry and plans archive.

[vdeane]

It would certainly be a change that i have mixed feeling about.  On the one hand, this could lead to such wonderful things as better exit numbers/mile markers on I-90 and I-87, county line signs, and the eradication of Clearview in NY.  Probably an end to gate arms on the bridges over the Hudson too.  On the other, the Thruway Authority keeps the road well maintained and I don't want NYSDOT region 2 anywhere near the Thruway signs (I prefer even the Thruway's Clearview to the abominations in NYSDOT region 2).

I'm really glad the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority isn't included in this.  That would be really sad.

[Duke87]

Merging the Thruway Authority with the Bridge authority and eventually with NYSDOT just makes sense. No need to keep redundant agencies.

MTA, meanwhile, is a very different animal (primarily a transit agency, not a road agency), and should be kept separate. Taking TBTA (the one non-transit division) away from them and rolling it into NYSDOT is tempting, but then the MTA would lose the much needed revenue stream from the tolls...

[xcellntbuy]

The plus-side for New York would be to streamline similar transportation-related agencies combined into one bureaucracy.  Since there are separate authority executives and boards and these jobs are extremely-sought after patronage jobs, the large salary leadership of the Bridge and Thruway Authorities will not go quietly.  The major issue of combining New York DOT, NYSBA and NYSTA is its bonding authority, ability to raise revenue without a public referendum.  The concept of the "Authority" as part of New York law dates back at least to the Constitution of 1846 as a way to raise "taxes" without a vote.

[Stephane Dumas]

Besidess Mass DOT who absorbed MA Turnpike, didn't some other states did the same thing like FLDOT with FL TPK, INDOT with IN Toll road?

[Dougtone]

It would certainly be a change that i have mixed feeling about.  On the one hand, this could lead to such wonderful things as better exit numbers/mile markers on I-90 and I-87, county line signs, and the eradication of Clearview in NY.  Probably an end to gate arms on the bridges over the Hudson too.  On the other, the Thruway Authority keeps the road well maintained and I don't want NYSDOT region 2 anywhere near the Thruway signs (I prefer even the Thruway's Clearview to the abominations in NYSDOT region 2).

I'm really glad the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority isn't included in this.  That would be really sad.

From what I can gather, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority is managed by Jefferson County, as the board of directors for the bridge authority are chosen by the Jefferson County Legislature.  A similar situation is in place for the Ogdensburg Port and Bridge Authority.  The Seaway International Bridge seems to managed by a Canadian authority.

[machias]

It would certainly be a change that i have mixed feeling about.  On the one hand, this could lead to such wonderful things as better exit numbers/mile markers on I-90 and I-87, county line signs, and the eradication of Clearview in NY.  Probably an end to gate arms on the bridges over the Hudson too.  On the other, the Thruway Authority keeps the road well maintained and I don't want NYSDOT region 2 anywhere near the Thruway signs (I prefer even the Thruway's Clearview to the abominations in NYSDOT region 2).

I sometimes wonder if Region 2 isn't nosing around with the part of the Thruway in some way, as I recently heard back from the Thruway Authority regarding the guide panels for Exit 31 when heading westbound (which differ between "Utica-Rome" at 1 mile and only "Utica" at the ramp) and they said that there was no need for Rome to be listed on the second panel at the ramp because three successive exits are labeled Rome, so essentially if they miss this one they can go to Westmoreland at Exit 32.  Plus, Region 2 has started using Clearview on some of their two-lane road signs, especially around southern Oneida County and Madison County.

The Thruway Authority does MUCH better with maintenance, especially snow removal, when compared to Region 2's performance on their roadways.

[NJRoadfan]

When NJ merged the New Jersey Highway Authority (ran the GS Parkway) with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority in 2003, they published how much consolidation saved. They still should have taken over the Atlantic City Expressway, even if it meant having to spin it off of the South Jersey Transportation Authority (which also runs ACX).

[connroadgeek]

Why do some states have these pseudo-DOTs/individual highway authorities? I don't get it. What's the purpose? Anyone know?

[NJRoadfan]

Why do some states have these pseudo-DOTs/individual highway authorities? I don't get it. What's the purpose? Anyone know?

Some states have laws/restrictions that require an independent authority with its own power to issue bonds.

[vdeane]

Why do some states have these pseudo-DOTs/individual highway authorities? I don't get it. What's the purpose? Anyone know?

When the major turnpikes were being built, DOTs didn't run toll roads, so turnpike authorities were created to issue the bonds, collect the tolls, and maintain the road.

[cpzilliacus]

Why do some states have these pseudo-DOTs/individual highway authorities? I don't get it. What's the purpose? Anyone know?

When the major turnpikes were being built, DOTs didn't run toll roads, so turnpike authorities were created to issue the bonds, collect the tolls, and maintain the road.

In Maryland, the state agency that runs the state's toll roads and toll crossings also finances other revenue-generating transportation projects, including parking decks at Metrorail stations in the Maryland suburbs of D.C., and at BWI Airport, and certain improvements at the Port of Baltimore.