Thruway officials said in a release that inability to raise tolls creates a $216 million hole in the roughly $1 billion capital program the agency seeks to implement over the next six years.

The proposed hike had been attacked by State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and, more vociferously, by State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. The Thruway said it hopes to work with the Governor and Legislature to meet its needs

But the Governor and Legislature have bigger transportation finance problems, in the forms of the unfunded parts of the MTA 2000-2004 capital program and demands by the road industry and State Senate for more highway spending.

The Thruway toll hike's quick demise may be a strong signal that questions of new money for transportation capital needs will wait for resolution until after this November's election. On the other hand, Albany Times Union coverage of opposition to the toll hike said some legislators thought that including Thruway needs in a potential transportation bond issue to be put before voters was a possibility.