MTA snares 66 'ghost' vehicles owing $700,000 in tolls
Cars pass through toll booths to use the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, N.J., in 2022. Credit: AP / Seth Wenig
The MTA seized 66 vehicles Thursday from persistent toll evaders who police said were responsible for more than $700,000 in unpaid fares and fees.
The targeted enforcement action by MTA Bridges and Tunnels police against “ghost” vehicles resulted in 14 arrests, 413 tickets and the confiscation of 10 improper or covered license plates at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel.
“Our message is very simple, don’t use fake plates, don’t cover your plates, and pay the toll when you use MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ crossings,” MTA Bridges and Tunnels president Catherine Sheridan said in a statement.
One person stopped during the enforcement action owed over $200,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, the agency said.
NYPD officers and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey worked with state police, the state DMV and New York City sheriff’s deputies during the sting.
The MTA targeted drivers through suspended registrations, traffic stops and surveillance to find repeat violators.
Last year, police stopped more than 2,700 vehicles, nearly double the total of vehicles intercepted in 2022. MTA Bridges and Tunnels officers have issued more than 3,000 tickets for covered or obstructed license plates since the beginning of this year.
MTA officials said they have recovered more than 98% of the tolls owed by repeat toll offenders since launching the DMV Registration Suspension Program. State and New York City officials announced a crackdown last year of obstructed and counterfeit license plates, leading to the seizure of more than 9,500 vehicles for repeatedly evading tolls.
“We are laser-focused in our efforts to catch toll violators, and they will pay what they owe,” Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar said in a statement.
New York State officials said they lose $50 million annually on hidden license plates and lost tolls.
A study by Newsday found drivers dodging 224,000 tolls per month last year at bridges and tunnels overseen by the MTA.
At Port Authority crossings, the state lost about 191,000 tolls per month due to obscured license plates. Newsday also found Suffolk County couldn’t bill nearly 20,000 tickets for red light violations last year because of obscured license plates.
Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.
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