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NYC area drivers paid average $3,500 due to poor road conditions in 2024
Surging auto insurance premiums, driven by the rising cost of claims and other factors, have led to a record number of consumers shopping for cheaper policies. Analytics company LexisNexis Risk Solutions ranked New York third among the states with the largest annual increases in shopping growth in the third quarter of 2024, reporting a 58% jump. Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that Nassau County's average insurance rates are higher than Suffolk County's, partly due to Nassau's higher wages and its proximity to heavily congested New York City, which has the state's highest premiums. But Suffolk County car owners are still feeling the pinch. The highest auto insurance rate in Suffolk County was in a Brentwood zip code, 11717, where the annual average premium in 2024 reached $3,653—a 43% increase compared to 2023, according to The Zebra. A Central Islip zip code, 11722, ranked second with a $3,640 average premium in 2024—also a 43% increase from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the statewide average rose 50% to $2,526 last year compared to the national average, which increased 19% to $2,189, according to The Zebra’s “2025 Auto Insurance Trends Report.”
Insurers seeking to raise premiums in the state must get approval from the New York Department of Financial Services, but there are exceptions. The state has a “flex rating” law that allows insurers to raise premiums by an average of less than 5% in a 12-month period without seeking department approval.
Insurance companies consider several factors when calculating auto premiums, including consumers’ driving records, education, occupations, credit scores, ages and genders. They also consider zip codes, which take into account the prevalence of auto insurance fraud, costs of medical care and weather in the area.
***
The average driver in the metropolitan area — including Long Island — paid nearly $3,500 in costs associated with congested, poor and unsafe roads last year, according to a new report by a transportation research group. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that the figure factors in time and fuel wasted while stuck in traffic jams, extra vehicle operating costs after driving over potholes and the financial costs of traffic crashes, according to TRIP, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that authored the study.
In 2021, TRIP estimated the cost at about $3,200 — although at that point the country was still coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The costs have increased even as the bipartisan infrastructure law — which President Joe Biden signed into law in late 2021 — is bringing about $13.5 billion in highway and bridge investments in New York over five years.
Rocky Moretti, TRIP’s director of policy and research, said while federal money has been coming in, crucial state and local funding has dropped off.
Meanwhile, inflation — which for highway construction labor and materials was 46% from 2022 to 2024 — has meant that each dollar for transportation doesn't go as far, according to the report.
TRIP’s report does not cover the potential effects of congestion pricing, which began in Manhattan on Jan. 5.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has said travel times and congestion in and out of NYC appear to have reduced as a result of tolling, although experts say it may take months to see its true impact.
***
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has donated more than $8 million in grants to historic organizations across Long Island in 2024. Grant recipients were recognized during two rounds of awards luncheons hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society in June 2024 and Old Westbury Gardens in December 2024. Grants will be used by a variety of Long Island historic sites to fund initiatives ranging from educational programs and exhibitions to publications, scholarships, and construction and renovation projects. Local recipients of the first round of grants are the Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, the Greater Westhampton Historical Museum, and the Montauk Historical Society. Recipients of the second round 2024 Grant awards are Sag Harbor History Museum and The Church, an arts incubator in Sag Harbor.
For further info visit: rdlgfoundation.org
***
Former Suffolk County U.S. Congressman Lee Zeldin will face tough questions from Democrats about his fitness to be the EPA administrator at a Senate hearing today, but he appears to be on a path to confirmation. Tom Brune reports in NEWSDAY that Zeldin, 44, of Shirley, a four-term House member from 2015 to 2023...during which he represented the east end...was tapped in November by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency despite his lack of a scientific background and limited environmental issue credentials. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that will open the hearing at 10 o’clock this morning, said Zeldin will get a swift confirmation. Republicans hold a majority with 10 seats on the 19-member committee. Political analysts say they do not expect Democrats to try to block the nomination. "Former congressman Zeldin may not exactly be qualified for the job, but absent a stunning series of events I expect that he will be confirmed," said political consultant Jim Manley, who was a top adviser to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "The political reality is that Senate Democrats have only so much bandwidth to go after Trump's nominees," Manley told Newsday. "And since he is not seen as being nearly as threatening as some of the others, I think he will skate by with some Democratic votes."
Zeldin sent a message to business and industry when Trump announced him as his choice to run the EPA in the week after winning the election.
"We will restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the U.S. the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water," Zeldin posted on the social media site X.
National environmentalist groups have decried the appointment, pointing out Zeldin's 14% voting score on environmental legislation by the League of Conservation Voters and his vote in Trump’s first term for an amendment to cut the EPA budget by $2 billion. Long Island environmental organizations are not as critical of Zeldin.
***
Growth in school property taxes on Long Island and statewide will be capped at a maximum 2% for the fourth year in a row, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced Wednesday.
The latest cap restrictions will apply to school district revenues during the 2025-26 fiscal year, which begins July 1. John Hildebrand reports in NEWSDAY that the 2% figure is a statewide baseline. Actual tax increases in individual school districts can run somewhat higher or lower, depending on local financial circumstances. For example, voter approval of a construction bond issue in a district can result in costs exempt from the cap.
In Nassau and Suffolk counties, as in many areas, school taxation accounts for more than 60% of homeowners' property tax bills. Total taxation for the current 2024-25 school year is more than $9.5 billion in Long Island's 124 school districts.
Under the state's cap law, annual tax hikes for school districts and municipalities are limited to 2% or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. Recent inflation rates, while moderating, have generally run above the cap. The latest inflation figure, posted for December by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 2.9%.
"School district and municipal officials will have to deliver services efficiently as they face the difficult task of managing costs that continue to rise," DiNapoli said in his statement issued Wednesday.
***
A measure that would set new fees as high as $2,000 for some special events held in Sag Harbor was tabled by the Village Board this past Tuesday to allow board members and representatives of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce to continue their review of the fee scale. The new fees are part of a revamped mass gathering law that, in part, seeks to recoup a portion of the costs the Village of Sag Harbor incurs when events are held on public property in the village. Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that if adopted, the new law would require a fee of $50 for a party with 50 or more people on a residential property or $500 for any event held on a commercial property. The rate would jump to $1,000 for an event held on public property and up to $2,000 for a parade or walk/run that would require police to close streets. The board, which opened a public hearing on the matter, made it clear it would not adopt the new law until the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce had an opportunity to weigh in. Mayor Tom Gardella said he also wanted to give the measure further thought.
8:49am - 8:51am
Members of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees were invited to attend New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s annual State of the State address in Albany this past Tuesday. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that tribal leaders said they welcomed the invitation as a sign that the governor is serious about building better relationships with the state’s sovereign Indigenous nations. “It really seems like she is sincere about wanting to foster better relationships between New York State and tribal leaders from every nation in the state,” Council of Trustees Chairwoman Lisa Goree said of Hochul’s overture to the Shinnecock and other Indigenous leaders. “This will be our third time meeting with the governor in the last six months. It’s very encouraging.” It is the first time that the tribe’s leadership has been invited by a NYS governor to attend the State of the State address. Six of the seven members of the council attended the speech, Goree said. Other Indigenous nations’ leadership councils also attended. “This has been in keeping with her recent actions to form better relations with the state’s tribes,” Vice Chairman Lance Gumbs said. “We have been trying to establish this government-to-government working relationship that we’ve often talked about but has never manifested itself in New York. “True tribal-state partnerships would benefit the state as well as the tribes — the tribes can bring a lot of benefits to the table,” Gumbs said this week. “I’ve said to the governor: ‘We are not the enemy.’ There are examples all over the country where states and tribes are thriving together.”
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By WLIW-FMSurging auto insurance premiums, driven by the rising cost of claims and other factors, have led to a record number of consumers shopping for cheaper policies. Analytics company LexisNexis Risk Solutions ranked New York third among the states with the largest annual increases in shopping growth in the third quarter of 2024, reporting a 58% jump. Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that Nassau County's average insurance rates are higher than Suffolk County's, partly due to Nassau's higher wages and its proximity to heavily congested New York City, which has the state's highest premiums. But Suffolk County car owners are still feeling the pinch. The highest auto insurance rate in Suffolk County was in a Brentwood zip code, 11717, where the annual average premium in 2024 reached $3,653—a 43% increase compared to 2023, according to The Zebra. A Central Islip zip code, 11722, ranked second with a $3,640 average premium in 2024—also a 43% increase from the previous year.
Meanwhile, the statewide average rose 50% to $2,526 last year compared to the national average, which increased 19% to $2,189, according to The Zebra’s “2025 Auto Insurance Trends Report.”
Insurers seeking to raise premiums in the state must get approval from the New York Department of Financial Services, but there are exceptions. The state has a “flex rating” law that allows insurers to raise premiums by an average of less than 5% in a 12-month period without seeking department approval.
Insurance companies consider several factors when calculating auto premiums, including consumers’ driving records, education, occupations, credit scores, ages and genders. They also consider zip codes, which take into account the prevalence of auto insurance fraud, costs of medical care and weather in the area.
***
The average driver in the metropolitan area — including Long Island — paid nearly $3,500 in costs associated with congested, poor and unsafe roads last year, according to a new report by a transportation research group. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that the figure factors in time and fuel wasted while stuck in traffic jams, extra vehicle operating costs after driving over potholes and the financial costs of traffic crashes, according to TRIP, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that authored the study.
In 2021, TRIP estimated the cost at about $3,200 — although at that point the country was still coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The costs have increased even as the bipartisan infrastructure law — which President Joe Biden signed into law in late 2021 — is bringing about $13.5 billion in highway and bridge investments in New York over five years.
Rocky Moretti, TRIP’s director of policy and research, said while federal money has been coming in, crucial state and local funding has dropped off.
Meanwhile, inflation — which for highway construction labor and materials was 46% from 2022 to 2024 — has meant that each dollar for transportation doesn't go as far, according to the report.
TRIP’s report does not cover the potential effects of congestion pricing, which began in Manhattan on Jan. 5.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has said travel times and congestion in and out of NYC appear to have reduced as a result of tolling, although experts say it may take months to see its true impact.
***
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has donated more than $8 million in grants to historic organizations across Long Island in 2024. Grant recipients were recognized during two rounds of awards luncheons hosted by the Smithtown Historical Society in June 2024 and Old Westbury Gardens in December 2024. Grants will be used by a variety of Long Island historic sites to fund initiatives ranging from educational programs and exhibitions to publications, scholarships, and construction and renovation projects. Local recipients of the first round of grants are the Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, the Greater Westhampton Historical Museum, and the Montauk Historical Society. Recipients of the second round 2024 Grant awards are Sag Harbor History Museum and The Church, an arts incubator in Sag Harbor.
For further info visit: rdlgfoundation.org
***
Former Suffolk County U.S. Congressman Lee Zeldin will face tough questions from Democrats about his fitness to be the EPA administrator at a Senate hearing today, but he appears to be on a path to confirmation. Tom Brune reports in NEWSDAY that Zeldin, 44, of Shirley, a four-term House member from 2015 to 2023...during which he represented the east end...was tapped in November by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency despite his lack of a scientific background and limited environmental issue credentials. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that will open the hearing at 10 o’clock this morning, said Zeldin will get a swift confirmation. Republicans hold a majority with 10 seats on the 19-member committee. Political analysts say they do not expect Democrats to try to block the nomination. "Former congressman Zeldin may not exactly be qualified for the job, but absent a stunning series of events I expect that he will be confirmed," said political consultant Jim Manley, who was a top adviser to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "The political reality is that Senate Democrats have only so much bandwidth to go after Trump's nominees," Manley told Newsday. "And since he is not seen as being nearly as threatening as some of the others, I think he will skate by with some Democratic votes."
Zeldin sent a message to business and industry when Trump announced him as his choice to run the EPA in the week after winning the election.
"We will restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the U.S. the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water," Zeldin posted on the social media site X.
National environmentalist groups have decried the appointment, pointing out Zeldin's 14% voting score on environmental legislation by the League of Conservation Voters and his vote in Trump’s first term for an amendment to cut the EPA budget by $2 billion. Long Island environmental organizations are not as critical of Zeldin.
***
Growth in school property taxes on Long Island and statewide will be capped at a maximum 2% for the fourth year in a row, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced Wednesday.
The latest cap restrictions will apply to school district revenues during the 2025-26 fiscal year, which begins July 1. John Hildebrand reports in NEWSDAY that the 2% figure is a statewide baseline. Actual tax increases in individual school districts can run somewhat higher or lower, depending on local financial circumstances. For example, voter approval of a construction bond issue in a district can result in costs exempt from the cap.
In Nassau and Suffolk counties, as in many areas, school taxation accounts for more than 60% of homeowners' property tax bills. Total taxation for the current 2024-25 school year is more than $9.5 billion in Long Island's 124 school districts.
Under the state's cap law, annual tax hikes for school districts and municipalities are limited to 2% or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. Recent inflation rates, while moderating, have generally run above the cap. The latest inflation figure, posted for December by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 2.9%.
"School district and municipal officials will have to deliver services efficiently as they face the difficult task of managing costs that continue to rise," DiNapoli said in his statement issued Wednesday.
***
A measure that would set new fees as high as $2,000 for some special events held in Sag Harbor was tabled by the Village Board this past Tuesday to allow board members and representatives of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce to continue their review of the fee scale. The new fees are part of a revamped mass gathering law that, in part, seeks to recoup a portion of the costs the Village of Sag Harbor incurs when events are held on public property in the village. Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that if adopted, the new law would require a fee of $50 for a party with 50 or more people on a residential property or $500 for any event held on a commercial property. The rate would jump to $1,000 for an event held on public property and up to $2,000 for a parade or walk/run that would require police to close streets. The board, which opened a public hearing on the matter, made it clear it would not adopt the new law until the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce had an opportunity to weigh in. Mayor Tom Gardella said he also wanted to give the measure further thought.
8:49am - 8:51am
Members of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees were invited to attend New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s annual State of the State address in Albany this past Tuesday. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that tribal leaders said they welcomed the invitation as a sign that the governor is serious about building better relationships with the state’s sovereign Indigenous nations. “It really seems like she is sincere about wanting to foster better relationships between New York State and tribal leaders from every nation in the state,” Council of Trustees Chairwoman Lisa Goree said of Hochul’s overture to the Shinnecock and other Indigenous leaders. “This will be our third time meeting with the governor in the last six months. It’s very encouraging.” It is the first time that the tribe’s leadership has been invited by a NYS governor to attend the State of the State address. Six of the seven members of the council attended the speech, Goree said. Other Indigenous nations’ leadership councils also attended. “This has been in keeping with her recent actions to form better relations with the state’s tribes,” Vice Chairman Lance Gumbs said. “We have been trying to establish this government-to-government working relationship that we’ve often talked about but has never manifested itself in New York. “True tribal-state partnerships would benefit the state as well as the tribes — the tribes can bring a lot of benefits to the table,” Gumbs said this week. “I’ve said to the governor: ‘We are not the enemy.’ There are examples all over the country where states and tribes are thriving together.”