BRIDGES: Cuomo: Keep tolls on the new Tappan Zee Bridge under $14

Despite what his own administration has indicated, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants tolls on the new Tappan Zee Bridge to be under $14.

Cuomo said on an Aug. 13 radio show that he also wants a task force that included federal officials to work with the New York State Thruway Authority to keep trip charges as low as possible when the span opens in 2017, and he encouraged the search for alternative funding. The current toll is $5.

“Maybe there’s ways to negotiate a better deal on the bridge, make it less expensive,” he told Albany’s Talk 1300 AM radio. “Maybe there are ways to find federal funding that could be helpful.”

Cuomo worked with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to lower the New York-New Jersey Port Authority’s initial toll increase of $16 on Hudson River crossings down to $12.

Cuomo also said the new Tappan Zee Bridge will be designed to last 100 years, which also could be a factor in keeping tolls down.

The New York governor wants the new span to be a world-class structure, and would like to have a blue-ribbon panel in charge of selecting a prime contractor and lead designer.