Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media because the state is owed more than $64 million in unpaid tolls, the New York State Thruway Authority will crack down on the motorists who have not paid. Any driver who refuses to pay will receive four notices listing late fees before they are referred to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to have their car registrations suspended, Thruway Executive Director Matthew Driscoll said. The $64 million in past due tolls date from 2018 to 2021; the Thruway made the switch to cashless tolling in November 2020, Motorists with E-ZPass are billed automatically when their vehicle passes under a toll gantry. License plates of the cars and trucks without E-ZPass are photographed and a bill for the accumulated tolls is mailed. Driscoll said, “Customers without the E-ZPass were entirely unfamiliar with the process and did not understand that a toll bill will be mailed to them. They also did not know that they needed to have their most up-to-date address on file with DMV as required by law.” Some action the Thruway has taken to help educate drivers includes: Installing new signage; simplifying billing statements; offering an amnesty program to help customers; enhancing technology; and increasing staffing at their call centers. Toll revenue is used for maintenance of the Thruway’s 426 miles of mainline road. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.