Khurram Saeed, and Theresa Juva-Brown

TJN

Did the chairman of the Thruway Authority's board drop a hint last week when he said tolls on the new Tappan Zee Bridge could cost $9 or $10?

But Howard Milstein almost immediately added that "we don't know what the final numbers are," according to Crain's New York Business.

Milstein made his comments at a business conference Monday, two days before a state board approved a controversial $255 million loan from a clean water fund to help pay for the $3.9 billion project. Thruway officials have said the loan will help keep tolls down on the new bridge.

His remark that tolls could double on the new crossing — which some experts have predicted — was a rare bit of information, considering that the federal government, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration and the state Thruway Authority have not publicly disclosed toll details.

Thruway Executive Director Thomas Madison disputed that Milstein was suggesting figures for a future toll and said he was referring to the project's cost savings that will help lower tolls.

"The Thruway Authority has no plans to adjust its tolls at the existing Tappan Zee Bridge or anywhere else at this time, and it is premature to predict future toll rates on the new span while we continue to seek additional innovative funding, financing and cost saving opportunities," he said in a statement.

Madison said the authority is identifying candidates for a task force that will ultimately recommend a new bridge toll. The state first promised in 2012 to create the task force, but it has yet to be launched.

Madison denied that the delay in identifying the toll or the task force has anything to do with politics. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is up for re-election in November, and the toll is likely to increase from its current level of $5 on the Westchester-bound span.

"There's a lot going on with this project," he said. "There are continuing discussions about the type of individuals and specific names, for example, that might participate. I know there's been discussions with individuals about being a member of that task force."

A December analysis by a consultant to the Thruway Authority estimates the highway system's revenue will be $67.2 million short of its needs in 2015 under the current toll rates. By 2017, the estimated gap increases to $276.1 million, according to the report from Jacobs Civil Consultants.

In 2019, the gap is expected to increase to $415 million, with total revenue needs of $1.1 billion.

The Journal News is appealing a denial from federal transportation officials for documents that could shed light on future tolls.

The mass transit advocacy group Tri-State Transportation Campaign has also been pressing for the plan. On Thursday, it received a largely blacked-out response from the U.S. Department of Transportation partially granting its appeal, but stating it wouldn't release "large portions" because the information was "preliminary" and "sensitive."

"If there is indeed a financial plan that is solid, it should be shared with the public," Tri-State executive director Veronica Vanterpool said. She noted that the bonds and loans will repaid by toll payers who had a right to know what to expect.

"At this point, I think it's more damaging to not release the information than whatever the toll projections might be," she said

The Journal News since March has been seeking a host of project documents, including records containing future toll estimates on the Tappan Zee and Thruway.

In June, the USDOT denied the request, arguing "the release of this inaccurate and misleading information would cause (the Thruway Authority's) rating agencies to downgrade its credit ratings" and could increase its borrowing costs.

Friday marked 27 business days since USDOT acknowledged The Journal News' appeal. The law requires agencies to respond within 20 business days.

The USDOT last year took an average of 107 days to respond to appeals on Freedom of Information request denials, said Emily Grannis, a legal fellow at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Agencies could face lawsuits if they don't comply with the time limits set in the law.

Gannett Albany Bureau reporter Jon Campbell contributed information to this article.

Twitter: @ksaeed1