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CORTLANDT, NY Area residents are likely to pay a bit more to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge next year.
The New York State Bridge Authority has proposed a 25 cent increase for EZ Pass users and a 50 cent increase for those who pay cash, according to spokesman John Bellucci.
Its more costly to collect tolls manually than electronically, Bellucci explained.
The main reason for the increase is to help pay for bridge maintenance in order to keep them all at level 5, which is considered good condition.
Bellucci said that the authority does not receive local, state or federal funding and that all maintenance is paid for through tolls.
The 87-year-old bridge has seen a toll increase twice in its existence, the most recent of which was a 25 cent increase in 2001.
Bellucci said that the authority was also working to replace the southbound span of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, an $80 million project paid for through bonds that tolls will eventually pay back.
A public hearing will likely be held in December and if approved the toll increase will take effect in January, Bellucci said.
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