FIGHTING TOLLS: Man fights for removing fees on Grand Island bridges

Local News

November 10, 2006

By Joseph Kissel / ngedit@gnnewspaper.com The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Fri Nov 10, 2006, 11:05 PM EST

GRAND ISLAND — “There will be no more tolls on the Grand Island bridges,” Rus Thompson said at Town Hall on Monday.

“I’m making it my personal cause,” he added.

Thompson announced he was starting a petition to show Gov. George Pataki that area residents want to see the tolls go the way of parachute pants and poodle skirts.

“Sen. Maziarz and Sen. Voelker met with Gov. Pataki in Albany, and the answer was an absolute no,” Thompson said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “He seemed to think there was no public outrage or outcry for the removal of the tolls.”

Thompson said he will distribute paper petitions, allow people to download and print their own or sign online.

Thompson, a Grand Island resident, failed Tuesday in his bid to oust longtime Assemblyman Sam Hoyt from his district, losing by a landslide in a district heavily dominated by urban voters.

Thompson says he never had a chance. But that isn’t stopping him from leading the Erie County Legislature bid he’ll mount next year.

In the meantime, he’s taking on the tolls — and not letting up on Hoyt.

“It has never left the transportation committee,” Thompson said of Hoyt’s efforts to get rid of the tolls.

In response, Hoyt did not seem to think getting rid of the tolls was terribly feasible, pointing out that the cost of the toll is only 9 cents for islanders.

“I’m going to push for improvements to the Grand Island bridges,” he said.

But Hoyt is getting things done for the island, including a $2.7 million intersection makeover at Staley Road and Grand Island Boulevard that will help speed traffic through an area that sees lots of it.

Thompson says the state can go further and let the river of autos, trucks, tourists and residents run.

It would make crossing the bridge safer and possibly save some money, he said, by eliminating costly toll bridge collectors and their publicly-funded “premium” health care.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 signatures is what Thompson is trying to collect.

“And I will personally hand deliver them to Gov. Pataki,” he said.

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