In response to your editorial (Feb. 16) regarding the New York State Thruway, I would like to clarify some facts.

The Service Area Redesign and Development Project to reimagine and modernize the Thruway’s 27 service areas is funded by a public-private partnership, and no tax or toll dollars are being used to fund construction. This is a $450 million private investment that will benefit the hundreds of thousands of drivers that use these facilities each year, at no cost to New Yorkers.

By now, you’ve probably heard that we, at the Thruway Authority, are proposing a modest increase to tolls across our 570-mile system, starting in 2024.

Between all of the news stories and fiery social media comments, some facts have gotten lost along the way.

Here’s the reality: New Yorkers have two ways to pay for their highways – through taxes or tolls.

Unlike other state entities, the Thruway Authority is not included in the New York State Budget and we do not receive federal, state, or local tax dollars to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the Thruway, which will soon be turning 70 years old. Our entire super-highway system is funded by the people who use it, in other words, through tolls.

The Office of the Comptroller recently stated that raising tolls should be a “last resort.” We completely agree.

Our proposed increase would be the first since 2010 for NY E-ZPass customers. That’s more than a decade of holding prices steady. Few others can say that. Like your home or business, we’re also dealing with rising costs. Consider that since 2010, the price of steel has increased by 212 percent, a ton of road salt jumped by 39 percent and a drum of motor oil is up 51 percent. We’ve absorbed these costs over the past decade but now we need additional revenue to meet growing capital and infrastructure needs on an aging system.

The average age of the Thruway’s 815 bridges is 55 years old. More than 85 of those bridges will need to be replaced within the next decade and the projected cost is roughly $800 million. Hundreds of more bridges will need to be addressed in the following decade, while more than 80 percent of the Thruway’s roadway base dates to the 1950s.

The longer we wait, the more expensive all of this critical work becomes.

Keep this in mind: Out of every $10 we collect in revenue, $9 come from tolls. To put the toll adjustment into further prospective, if you are traveling the Erie Section of the Thruway (I-90 from the PA line to exit 55), it currently costs $2.97 with a New York E-ZPass. In 2027, the same trip will only cost $3.27 or 30 cents more.

We’ve worked hard to control costs and boost the bottom line. Our operating budgets have increased at an average of less than 2 percent over the past 12 years. We continue to seek opportunities to boost revenue such as leasing fiber lines and selling excess property.

Maybe you’re wondering about the $13 billion in federal money that’s coming to New York from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Although we are not slated to receive those funds, we will continue to apply for federal grants. However, we must be realistic, we cannot rely on resources that may never become available to us to meet the long term needs of an aging system. Ensuring the continued safety and reliability of the system is too important to bank on one shot, competitive revenue sources.

When enacted, outside of the brand-new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, our customers will have paid the same price to travel on the Thruway for 14 years straight. We know how important this roadway is to our customers – it’s essential not only to the commerce of our state, but to connecting families and communities across the northeast. That is why we must do what we can to keep it safe and reliable for all.

Frank Hoare is interim executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority.