New York State Bridge Authority officials expect to vote next month on proposed toll increases for five Hudson River spans between Bear Mountain and Hudson that would take effect in February. Authority officials said additional revenue is needed to finance its "Bridges for the 21st Century" maintenance program, and that the increase would not be used to pay for construction of a new span alongside Poughkeepsie's Mid-Hudson Bridge - a project the Authority is contemplating to ease congestion.

A sensible idea would be to raise rush hour tolls only. Such a move would likely reduce rush hour congestion by encouraging off-peak travel, providing drivers with a direct benefit for paying higher tolls. Scenic Hudson presented this argument at a Bridge Authority hearing this week. A recent study found that tolls varied by time of day on the Thruway Authority's Tappan Zee Bridge could shift over 1,000 vehicles out of the peak.