when did the cavaliers win the nba championship

The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4–3 in a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals. It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history, and the first Finals since 2008 in which the number one seed in each conference met. It was the second straight rematch in back-to-back years, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014.

2016 NBA Finals

Golden State, which earned home-court advantage with setting the NBA regular season wins record (73–9), jumped to a 2–0 lead in the series while recording the largest combined margin of victory (48) through two games in NBA Finals history. Cleveland returned home and responded with a 120–90 win in Game 3, but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead. The Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully overcome a 3–1 deficit. It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team.

For the first time since 2004, a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals. In previous years, the Finals were played in a Thursday–Sunday–Tuesday scheme. However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams, which have to travel from one city to another during the series. This, along with the designated travel day, took place after Games 2, 4, 5, and 6.

The win by the Cavaliers was the first major professional sports championship won by a team based in Cleveland since 1964, and the first-ever championship won by the Cavaliers franchise. NBA Finals MVP winner LeBron James propelled the Cavaliers to the historic comeback.[2][3] James had a historically great Finals performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead all players in a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.[4] James' heroics coupled with the suspense of Cleveland's comeback have led many sports critics to deem the 2016 NBA Finals as one of the most exciting in recent history.

This was Cleveland's second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and third overall, seeking to win their first ever NBA championship. This would also be the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James, the most for any player not part of the 1960s Boston Celtics, and the fifth for James Jones (who technically qualified for the 2011 NBA Finals along with James, but did not play).[5]

Despite holding the best record in the Eastern Conference at 30â€“11 midway through the season on January 22, 2016, the Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt.[6] Associate head coach Tyronn Lue was then promoted to replace Blatt. General Manager David Griffin cited "a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision" as the reason for Blatt's firing.[7]

Cleveland finished the regular season with a 57–25 record, capturing the Central Division title and the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. They then advanced to the Finals after sweeping both the Detroit Pistons in the first round and the Atlanta Hawks in the second round, and defeating the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. The Cavaliers were the first team in history to go to two consecutive
NBA Finals with rookie head coaches.

This was the defending NBA Champions Golden State Warriors' second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and eighth overall. The Warriors broke the record set by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls by finishing the regular season with a 73–9 record.[8] In addition, the Warriors broke numerous other NBA records, including most road wins (34), best start to a season (24–0) and longest regular-season home win streak (54 dating back to the 2014–15 season). They also became the first team to make over 1,000 three-pointers in the regular-season with 1,077, eclipsing the previous record of 933 set by the 2014–15 Houston Rockets.[9]

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second straight season. The Splash Brothers twosome of Curry and Klay Thompson were the highest scoring duo in the league, combining to average 52.2 points per game.[10] Head coach Steve Kerr missed the first 43 regular season games because of a back injury. Assistant coach Luke Walton served as interim head coach during Kerr's absence and he led the Warriors to a 39â€“4 start.[11]

In the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round and the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals in five games each. In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 96–88, becoming only the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit, and advancing to a second straight NBA Finals for the first time since 1947 and 1948.[12]

The Warriors won the regular season series 2â€“0.

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104–89 in Game 1 to take a 1–0 series lead. The Cavaliers led 68–67 before the Warriors broke the game open with a 29–9 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 96–76 lead. Cleveland got the deficit within eleven points at 98–87 after an 11–2 run, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson nailed back-to-back three-pointers to essentially seal the victory for Golden State. While Curry and Thompson had a rough night combining for 20 points, the Warriors got a lift from its bench, outscoring the Cavaliers' bench 45–10.[13] Shaun Livingston scored his playoff-career high 20 points to lead Golden State, while Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 26 points. LeBron James fell one assist shy of a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists).[14]

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 110–77 in Game 2 to take a 2–0 series lead. Cleveland took a 28–22 lead about two minutes into the second quarter, but Golden State answered with a 20–2 run while outscoring the Cavs 30–16 the rest of the period. During the run, the Cavaliers' Kevin Love suffered a head injury while attempting to grab a defensive rebound. Love stayed throughout the remainder of the period but did not play the second half.[15] The Warriors continued to dominate Cleveland from there, outscoring the Cavaliers 58–33 in the final two quarters. Draymond Green led all scorers with 28 points, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Curry and Klay Thompson added 18 and 17 points, respectively, while drilling four threes each.[16]

With their victory, the Warriors posted the highest winning margin in the first two Finals games with a 48-point differential.[17] James led the Cavs with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, but he committed 7 turnovers. James added 4 steals while surpassing John Stockton for fourth on the all-time playoff steals list.[18]

The Cavaliers avenged their lopsided defeat to Golden State by routing the Warriors 120–90 in Game 3 to trail the series 2–1. The Cavaliers scored the game's first nine points en route to outscoring the Warriors 33–16 after one quarter. Golden State rallied to trim Cleveland's lead as low as seven points on a couple of occasions before the Cavs settled for a 51–43 halftime lead.[19] In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and outscored Golden State 69–47.[20] Love did not play due to a concussion.[21] James led all scorers with 32 points. Irving added 30 points for the Cavs. Curry led the Warriors with 19 points, while drilling four threes. Harrison Barnes also contributed 18 points in 33 minutes of play.[22]

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108–97 in Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead. After averaging just 16 points in the first three games of the series, Curry scored 38 and was 7 of 13 on three-pointers.[23] The Warriors made 17 three-pointers, then an NBA record for a single Finals game.[24] They made only 16 two-point field goals, the first time in Finals history a team made more shots from three-point range.[25] Klay Thompson added 25 points and four three-pointers for Golden State.[24] It was the Warriors' 88th win of the season, which broke the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls record of 87 for most wins in an NBA season (regular-season and postseason combined).[26][27]

Green and James had to be separated in the closing minutes of the game, when Green fell to the ground and James stepped over him.[28]
Feeling disrespected, Green swung his arm and appeared to make contact with James' groin.[29]

The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 112–97 in Game 5 to trail the series 3–2. James and Irving each scored 41 points to become the first teammates in Finals history to score 40 or more in the same game. James also added 16 rebounds.[30] After Game 4, Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 for his contact with James that was ruled "unnecessary" and "retaliatory", and James was given a technical foul for taunting.[30][31] Having accumulated his fourth flagrant foul point in the playoffs, Green was suspended for Game 5,[31] becoming the first player to be suspended from playing in a Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006.[32] Green watched the game from a luxury box in the nearby Oakland Alameda Coliseum, where the Oakland Athletics were also playing a game at the same time, hosting the Texas Rangers.[33][34][35]

Warriors center Andrew Bogut suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in the second half when he jumped to block a layup attempt by Cavs guard J. R. Smith and came down awkwardly on Smith.[36]

The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 115–101 in Game 6 to even the series 3–3. The Cavaliers scored the game's first eight points en route to outscoring the Warriors 31–11 after one quarter. Golden State rallied to trim Cleveland's lead as low as eight points on a couple of occasions before the Cavs settled for a 59–43 halftime lead. In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and tied the series.[37] LeBron James led all scorers with 41 points with 11 assists. Kyrie Irving added 23 points for the Cavs, while Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 30 points, while drilling six threes. Klay Thompson added 25 points for the Warriors. Back from suspension, Green was held to eight points on 3–7 shooting.[38][39]

James scored 18 straight points for Cleveland from the end of the third quarter to the 7:00 mark of the fourth. Late in the game with the Cavaliers up by 13, he blocked a Curry shot from behind, and afterward had some words for him.[40] With 4:22 left, Curry received his sixth foul and fouled out of the game. He then threw his mouthpiece into the stands in frustration, resulting in a technical foul and his ejection from the game.[41] Curry was the first MVP to foul out of an NBA Finals game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000.[42] The Cavaliers became the third team to fall behind 3â€“1 and force Game 7 (and the first in 50 years). James was the first player to have consecutive 40-point games in the finals since, coincidentally, Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000 Finals.[37] Following the game, Curry and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr were fined $25,000 each for their actions and public officiating criticism.[43]

This season's Finals marked the first time in NBA history in which both teams entered Game 7 with the same total points scored through six games (610 points each). The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 93–89 in Game 7 to win the series 4–3. Game 7 was close, with 20 lead changes and 11 ties. This was the only game in the series to have a final margin of fewer than 10 points. At halftime, the Warriors were ahead 49–42. In the second half, the Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 51–40 as the Warriors failed to score a basket during the last 4:39 of the game. In the closing minutes of the 4th quarter, LeBron James delivered what became known as "The Block" on a layup attempt by Andre Iguodala with the score tied at 89 and 1:50 remaining in the game. Kyrie Irving made a go-ahead 3-point field goal over Stephen Curry to give Cleveland a 92–89 lead with 0:53 remaining in the game.[44] Before Kyrie Irving's 3-point field goal, both teams were tied at 699 points scored apiece in this series. Immediately after Irving's 3-pointer, Golden State brought the ball up-court, opting not to call a timeout, and although Golden State got a preferred switch and matchup of Curry on Kevin Love, Love made arguably "the biggest defensive stop of the entire NBA season", and forced Curry into a contested 3-pointer, which he missed.[45][46] After LeBron James hurt his right wrist on a dunk attempt in which he was fouled, he nearly clinched the title for the Cavaliers by making one of two free throws with 10.6 seconds left in the game. The Cavaliers fouled Draymond Green with 6.5 seconds remaining. Stephen Curry received the ensuing inbounds pass, pump faked and shot a three pointer over Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert. The attempt missed, and was rebounded by Marreese Speights of the Warriors who attempted a three pointer as time expired and missed. Love immediately hugged the Finals MVP LeBron James.[47] Draymond Green led all scorers with 32 points, including 6 of 8 from three-point range to go along with 15 rebounds and 9 assists. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson added 17 and 14 points, respectively. LeBron James led all Cavaliers with 27 points and became only the 3rd player ever in NBA history to record a triple double in an NBA Finals Game 7 by adding 11 assists and 11 rebounds.[48] Kyrie Irving added 26 points for Cleveland.[49][50]

The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3â€“1 series deficit to win the NBA Finals.[51][52] They became the first NBA Champion to clinch all their playoff series on the road since the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, as well as the first road team to win a Finals Game 7 since the 1978 Washington Bullets. The Cavaliers won their first championship in franchise history, ending a nearly 52-year pro sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland. LeBron James was named the unanimous Finals MVP, becoming only the fifth player in NBA history to earn the award three times or more.[53][54] He also was the overall leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks during the series, a feat that had never been accomplished in an NBA playoff series.[55] Tyronn Lue became the 14th coach to win an NBA championship as a head coach and player.[56] After 13 years, James had finally brought a championship to the city of Cleveland.[57][58]

This loss led the Warriors to pursue Kevin Durant when he became a free agent that summer signing him on July 4, 2016. On July 13, Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals received the 2016 ESPY award for Best Game.

Assistant coach(es)

Roster  Last transaction: 2016–04–13

Assistant coach(es)

Roster  Last transaction: 2016–06–14

Golden State Warriors

In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen as play-by-play commentator, and Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy serving as color commentators. ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Kevin Calabro and Hubie Brown as commentators. ESPN Deportes provided exclusive Spanish-language coverage of The Finals, with a commentary team of Álvaro Martín and Carlos Morales.[59]


what is the song even flow by pearl jam about

The stark lyrics by Vedder for "Even Flow" describe the experience of being a homeless man.[9] The subject sleeps "on a pillow made of concrete" and panhandles passersby for spare change. In addition to being illiterate, he may also be mentally ill, as he "looks insane" when he smiles and struggles to keep coherent thoughts ("Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies/Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away").

Even Flow

"Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten (1991). The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). A remixed version of the song was included on the 2009 Ten reissue.

"Even Flow" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard. Bassist Jeff Ament said, "I know it was a great song all along, and I felt that it was the best song that we got the worst take of on the first record. There were a hundred takes on that song, and we just never nailed it."[2] Drummer Dave Krusen said, "I was pretty green back then and 'Even Flow' suffered from too much fluctuation." He added that "it was really tough for me. I don't know why. Not sure why we didn't use that one from the demo as well, but I know it felt better."[3] Guitarist Mike McCready stated, "We did 'Even Flow' about 50, 70 times. I swear to God it was a nightmare. We played that thing over and over until we hated each other. I still don't think Stone is satisfied with how it came out."[4]

An alternate version of the song was recorded with drummer Dave Abbruzzese in 1992 while the band was recording songs for the soundtrack for the 1992 film, Singles.[5] This version was used for the music video,[6] and was used in single releases in the United Kingdom. This version can also be found on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

"Even Flow" was written in the key of D major, with Gossard performing his parts in open D tuning and McCready complementing it with a similar rhythm pattern in standard tuning.[7] The recorded version of the song actually sounds slightly sharper than D major, with everything tuned up — accidentally or otherwise — around one quarter of a step.[citation needed] The song features a funk guitar riff by Gossard.

McCready on the song:

That's me pretending to be Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a feeble attempt at that. Stone (Gossard, Pearl Jam guitarist) wrote the riff and song; I think it's a D tuning. I just followed him in a regular pattern. I tried to steal everything I know from Stevie Ray Vaughan and put it into that song. A blatant rip-off. A tribute rip-off, if you will![8]

The vocal line that appears in the main verse begins with a very prominent tritone interval.

At Pearl Jam's March 28, 1994 concert at the Bayfront Amphitheater in Miami, Florida, Vedder introduced the song by saying, "I thought I'd throw in a bit of street education while you still have an open mind....Right across the street there's a little homeless community that lives under the bridge. You should just know that those people ain't all crazy and sometimes it's not their fault. This song is called 'Even Flow'."[10]

At the May 12, 2008 show in Toronto, Vedder stated that the song was written under the Space Needle in Seattle.

While the "Even Flow" single was released commercially to international markets in 1992, the commercial single was not released in the United States until June 27, 1995 and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. The alternate studio recording of "Even Flow", which was recorded in 1992 with Abbruzzese, was released as a CD single and 12-inch white vinyl in the United Kingdom. The original version was used in single releases in the United States. The song was released as a single in 1992 with a previously unreleased funk[11] B-side titled "Dirty Frank", which can also be found as an extra track on European releases of Ten and as an alternate version on the compilation album, Lost Dogs (2003).

The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 21 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In Canada, the song reached the top 80 on the Canadian Singles Chart. "Even Flow" peaked at number 27 in the UK and number 22 on the Australian Singles Chart. It was a moderate top 20 success in New Zealand.

Chris True of Allmusic called "Even Flow" "the somewhat less ballady more swaggering follow up to the breakout single 'Alive'." True said that the song "doesn’t even really have an intro—it just starts and keeps going—and the band seems more in the groove than on the overly earnest 'Alive'." True said that the song "confirmed that Pearl Jam were more than just one hit grunge rock wonders."[12] The song was placed at number 77 on a list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone.[13] It was also included on VH1's countdown of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" at number 30.[14]

Pearl Jam originally hired director Rocky Schenck to film a music video for "Even Flow". On January 31, 1992, on their way to England to begin a European tour, the band members came to Los Angeles, California to film the video. The concept for the video was based on an idea by Gossard.[15] Schenck filmed Pearl Jam in a zoo setting. He had arranged a nighttime shoot at an old, closed facility, brought in different wildlife, and set up his lights among the cages and in the trees. Along with the animal footage, the members of Pearl Jam were filmed individually and as a band, standing on the side of a cliff and air jamming. The shoot took hours, and the band was not pleased with the end result. Schenck's shoot was considered a waste of time and money by the band; it also damaged Abbruzzese's wrists significantly. After shooting had finished, he was taken to the emergency room where he was advised not to put strain on his wrists. Abbruzzese would drum on the band's European tour with a splint attached to his hands.

The original music video for "Even Flow" was ultimately replaced by a performance clip directed by Josh Taft, who had previously directed the "Alive" music video for the band, and who would later direct the music video for "Oceans".[16] The video consists of performance footage of the band filmed during a January 17, 1992 show at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington.[16] Taft was filming that night not in his capacity as a director, but as a friend of Gossard's. (At one point during the show, Vedder had even stopped the proceedings, clearly of the opinion that Taft's presence was intrusive. "This is not a TV studio, Josh" he'd yelled indignantly, in an interlude that Taft left in his final cut but that MTV clipped out of most versions it aired. "Turn those lights out, it's a fucking rock concert!") The video shows Vedder climbing the theatre, and then jumping down between fans at the concert and ending with Mccready throwing his guitar towards the camera.

The footage used in the video is actually spliced from different songs: for instance Gossard and McCready each play two different guitars, Vedder wears a hat at some point and the theatre climb actually occurred during "Porch".[17] Taft's presence at the Moore Theatre show, and the fact that he had filmed sufficient footage to compile into a music video, proved to be a break for the band. Otherwise with Epic ready to provide MTV with an "Even Flow" video and Schenck's version already completed, Pearl Jam would have had little choice but to go with it, and the band members unanimously despised Schenck's version when they saw the final edit. The alternate studio recording of "Even Flow", which was recorded in 1992 with Abbruzzese, was used for the video as the band felt it synched up well with the live footage.[5] The video was released in April 1992.[18] The full January 17, 1992 show would eventually be released in 2013 as an audio download, Seattle, WA 17-January-1992.[19]

"Even Flow" was first performed live at the band's October 22, 1990 concert in Seattle, Washington at the Off Ramp CafÃ©. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1992. "Even Flow" has gone on to become the band's most performed live song, having been played more than 800 times (the next most played song, "Alive", is at more than 730 performances).[20] Over the years, the tempo of the song has become slightly faster in live performances. Live performances of "Even Flow" can be found on the "Dissident" single, the live album Live on Two Legs, the compilation album Wild and Wooly: The Northwest Rock Collection, various official bootlegs, the live album Live in NYC 12/31/92,[21] the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set, the live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007,[20] and the Drop in the Park LP included in the Super Deluxe edition of the Ten reissue. Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs Touring Band 2000,[22] Live at the Garden,[23] Immagine in Cornice,[24] and the MTV Unplugged DVD included in the Ten reissue. On Live at the Garden, McCready performs an improv within "Even Flow" that goes on for nearly five minutes.[23]

CD (US, Australia, Austria, Brazil, and Germany) and Cassette (Australia)

CD (UK) and 12" Vinyl (UK)

7" Vinyl (UK) and Cassette (UK)

7" Vinyl (The Netherlands) and Cassette (New Zealand)


how many episodes in beauty and the beast season 4

The fourth and final season of Beauty & the Beast (an American television series developed by Sherri Cooper-Landsman and Jennifer Levin and very loosely inspired by the 1987 CBS television series of the same name) consists of 13 episodes. It premiered in the United States on The CW on June 2, 2016.

Beauty & the Beast (season 4)

On February 13, 2015, The CW renewed the series for a fourth season.[1] On October 13, 2015, it was announced that the fourth season of Beauty & the Beast would be the final season.[2] Filming began on May 29, 2015, and ended on November 17, 2015.[3]

Max Brown, who starred as Dr. Evan Marks during the first season, is returning for a guest appearance in season four.[4] TVLine reported that the show is adding another main character named Kyle, an EMT in his mid-20s.[5]


when was the new york state thruway built

A tolled highway connecting the major cities of New York was first proposed as early as the 1940s. The first section of the Thruway, between Utica and Rochester, opened on June 24, 1954. The remainder of the mainline and many of its spurs connecting to highways in other states and provinces were built in the 1950s. In 1957, much of the Thruway system was included as portions of Interstate 87 (I-87), I-90, and I-95. Other segments became part of I-190 and I-287 shortly afterward. Today, the system comprises six highways: the New York–Ripley mainline, the Berkshire Connector, the Garden State Parkway Connector, the New England Thruway (I-95), the Niagara Thruway (I-190), and the Cross-Westchester Expressway (I-287). The portion of I-84 in New York was part of the Thruway system from 1991 to 2010.

New York State Thruway

The New York State Thruway, often called simply the Thruway, is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) and comprises 569.83 miles (917.05 km) of highway. The tolled mainline of the Thruway extends for 496.00 miles (798.23 km) from the New York City line at Yonkers to the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley by way of Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Thruway is the fifth busiest toll road in the United States.[3]

The Thruway utilizes both open (barrier-based) tolling and closed (ticket-based) tolling. Tickets are used on the Thruway mainline between Harriman and Williamsville and from Lackawanna to the Pennsylvania state line. The Berkshire Connector also utilizes a ticket-based tolling system. The portion of the mainline south of Harriman, the New England Thruway, and the Niagara Thruway have open tolling systems, with all three highways containing at least one toll barrier. The last two components—the Garden State Parkway Connector and the Cross-Westchester Expressway—and the section of the mainline in and around Buffalo are toll-free. A proposed transition to cashless tolls would eliminate all toll booths and their operators by 2020.[4]

The New York State Thruway system is a collection of six individual components across the state of New York that connect the state to four neighboring states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. Together, the highways extend for 569.83 miles (917.05 km),[2] making the Thruway system one of the largest toll highway systems in the United States.[5] The longest of the six components is the 496-mile (798 km) mainline. Of the 570 miles in the Thruway system, 560.85 miles (902.60 km) (98.4%) carries at least one Interstate Highway designation.[2] Only three sections of the system are not part of the Interstate Highway System; these are the Garden State Parkway Connector in Rockland County, a 6-mile (10 km) portion of the Berkshire Connector between exit 21A on the mainline near Selkirk and exit B1 in Schodack, and a short section of the mainline within exit 24 in Albany that is located between where I-87 departs the roadway and I-90 enters it. They are designated as New York State Route 982L (NY 982L), NY 912M, and NY 915H, respectively, all unsigned reference routes.[6]  The speed limit, enforced by the New York State Police, is 65 miles per hour along most of the Thruway.[7]

I-90, which comprises the bulk of the mainline and the Berkshire Connector, runs for 365.55 miles (588.30 km) along the Thruway: 17.70 miles (28.49 km) as part of the Berkshire Connector and 347.85 miles (559.81 km) on the mainline. I-87 comprises the remaining 148.15 miles (238.42 km) of the mainline, including an 18.86-mile (30.35 km) concurrency with I-287 north of New York City. I-287 covers another 29.76 miles (47.89 km) (including the 18.86 miles (30.35 km) shared with I-87), while I-190 spans 21.24 miles (34.18 km) and I-95 covers 15.01 miles (24.16 km).[2]

All highways maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) lack the reference markers that exist on all New York State Department of Transportation-maintained roads, as would be expected. In their place, NYSTA-controlled roadways use small, square tenth-mile markers with a white background and blue numbering.[8] These markers differ from the white-on-green reference markers used by NYSDOT on state-maintained highways, which are 10 inches (254 mm) high and 8 inches (203 mm) wide and display a limited amount of mileage information on their third row.[9]

The mainline of the Thruway begins, both in terms of exit numbers and mileposts, at the boundary between the New York City borough of the Bronx and the Westchester County city of Yonkers.[2] Here, I-87 changes from the Major Deegan Expressway to the Thruway as the mainline proceeds northward through Yonkers and southern Westchester County. It connects with Central Park Avenue (NY 100) at exit 1, the first of 12 exits within the county. The first few exits serve various local streets, with exit 2 providing access to Yonkers Raceway and exit 3 serving the Cross County Shopping Center. At exit 4, I-87 connects to the Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway providing access to the Saw Mill River, Bronx River, and Hutchinson River Parkways, all of which run parallel to the Thruway through Yonkers. The Hutchinson River and Bronx River parkways leave to the northeast midway through Yonkers, while the Saw Mill and Sprain Brook Parkways follow the Thruway out of the city.[10] The last free exit heading northbound is at Ridge Hill Boulevard and Stew Leonard Drive (exit 6A). Travel further north from there requires a toll payment at the Yonkers Toll Barrier.

All three highways take generally parallel tracks to Elmsford, where I-87 directly intersects the Saw Mill River Parkway at exit 7A. Not far to the north is exit 8, a semi-directional T interchange with I-287 (the Cross-Westchester Expressway). I-287 joins the Thruway here, following I-87 west across the Hudson River into Rockland County on the Tappan Zee Bridge. I-87 and I-287 remain overlapped for 15 miles (24 km) through the densely populated southern portion of Rockland County, meeting the Palisades Interstate Parkway and the New York segment of the Garden State Parkway at exits 13 and 14A, respectively. The Thruway continues generally westward to Suffern, where I-87 and I-287 split at a large semi-directional T interchange (exit 15) near the New Jersey border. At this point, I-287 heads south into New Jersey while I-87 and the Thruway turn northward into the valley of the Ramapo River.  Northbound Route 17 briefly joins the Thruway at the interchange with I-287 in Suffern, and leaves the Thruway a half mile north at Exit 15A in Hillburn.[10]

The Thruway continues north through the river valley toward Harriman, where it encounters the Woodbury toll barrier, the southeastern end of the mainline's major closed ticket system. The barrier is located on the mainline within exit 16 (NY 17), a trumpet interchange. Along with the mainline barrier in Harriman, an electronic toll gantry exists on the exit 16 ramp midway between the Thruway and NY 17 exit 131 (NY 32). Now a completely tolled highway, the Thruway heads northward, roughly paralleling the Hudson River to the river's west as it serves the city of Newburgh, the village of New Paltz, and the city of Kingston, indirectly connecting to the short I-587 in the latter.[10]

Past Kingston, the highway runs closer to the river as it parallels U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) through the towns of Saugerties, Catskill, Coxsackie, and Ravena. Just north of Ravena, the Thruway meets the west end of the Berkshire Connector, a spur linking the Thruway mainline to the Massachusetts Turnpike 25 miles (40 km) to the east. The highway continues into Albany, where it connects to Troy via I-787 at exit 23 and intersects I-90 at exit 24.[10] The latter of the two junctions is the busiest of the Thruway's exits, serving an estimated 27 million vehicles a year.[11] I-87 leaves the Thruway mainline here while I-90 merges into it, following the Thruway northwestward toward Schenectady.[10]

South of Schenectady, but still in Albany County, the Thruway and I-90 meet I-890, a loop route of I-90 that directly serves the downtown district of Schenectady, at exit 25. The Thruway, meanwhile, bypasses the city to the south and west, intersecting I-88 at exit 25A in Rotterdam before reuniting with I-890 at exit 26 west of Scotia. Travel between I-88 and exits 24, 25 and 26 is toll-free.[12] From exit 26 west to Utica, the mainline of the Thruway parallels the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River, crossing over the waterbodies at Mohawk. In between Schenectady and Utica, I-90 and the Thruway serve several riverside communities, including the cities of Amsterdam (exit 27 via NY 30) and Little Falls (exit 29A, NY 169) and the villages of Fonda (exit 28, NY 30A), Canajoharie (exit 29, NY 5S and NY 10), and Mohawk (exit 30, NY 28).[10]

Like Schenectady before it, the Thruway bypasses downtown Utica, following an alignment north of the city while I-790 serves it directly. I-790 breaks from the Thruway at exit 31 and runs along two carriageways flanking the mainline on both sides for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before turning southward onto the North–South Arterial. The adjacent highways become NY 49, which parallel the Thruway for another 2 miles (3.2 km) northwestward. At the end of this stretch, the Thruway turns slightly southwestward, crossing over the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal while NY 49 continues northwestward along the northern bank of the waterbodies toward Rome. On the other side of the river, the Thruway curves back to the west, proceeding to exit 32 in Westmoreland.[10]

Not far to the west, the Thruway has a junction with NY 365 at exit 33 in Verona. Here, the Thruway connects to the cities of Rome and Oneida and serves the Turning Stone Resort & Casino via NY 365. The highway continues onward through a sparsely populated area between Verona and Syracuse, passing roughly 5 miles (8 km) south of Oneida Lake as it connects to the village of Canastota by way of NY 13 at exit 34. As the highway approaches exit 34A (I-481) outside of Syracuse, the surroundings become more developed. The level of development rises sharply west of I-481 as the Thruway enters Salina, a northern suburb of Syracuse. Within Salina, I-90 and the Thruway intersect I-81, which connects the Thruway to both downtown Syracuse and Syracuse Hancock International Airport.[10]

West of Salina, the Thruway passes north of Liverpool and Onondaga Lake before intersecting I-690 and its northern continuation, NY 690, at exit 39 in Van Buren. At this point, the amount of development along the Thruway sharply declines as it heads generally westward through a marshy area of Onondaga County. I-90 and the Thruway reconnect to the Erie Canal (here part of the Seneca River) at the western county line. Now in Cayuga County, the highway serves Weedsport via exit 40 and NY 34, exit 41 serving Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre, New York and passes north of Port Byron prior to entering Seneca County and the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Here, the canal leaves the Thruway for good, turning northwestward to follow the NY 31 corridor to Rochester and beyond.[10]

The portion of the Thruway between Montezuma and the Rochester area is one of mostly rural nature, with the highway passing through remote, open fields, and for the most part avoiding highly populated areas. Along this stretch, it connects to two cities, both located well to the south of the Thruway: Geneva by way of exit 42 for NY 14 and Canandaigua by way of exit 43 via NY 21. The next exit along the highway, exit 44 for NY 332, also serves Canandaigua; the junction is the primary exit for Canandaigua-bound travelers from the Rochester area. Here, the Thruway temporarily widens from four to six lanes as it continues generally westward to meet I-490 at exit 45 near Victor. Like in the vicinity of Schenectady and Utica, an auxiliary route of I-90—here I-490—directly serves a city (Rochester) while the Thruway bypasses it.[10]

It heads northwestward through the city's southern, mostly rural suburbs to Henrietta, where it meets I-390 at exit 46. Henrietta is as close as the Thruway gets to downtown as it proceeds west to Le Roy, where I-490 reconnects to I-90 at exit 47. I-90 continues onward into Genesee County, intersecting with NY 98 at exit 48 north of Batavia and NY 77 at exit 48A in Pembroke. The latter exit provides access to Darien Lake, a large amusement park located in the town of Darien. I-90 and the Thruway continue into Erie County and the Buffalo area. It meets NY 78 at exit 49 near Depew before passing through the Williamsville toll barrier, the northwestern end of the major closed ticket system.[10]

Just west of the toll barrier, I-90 and the Thruway—now toll-free—connect to I-290 via exit 50, a semi-directional T interchange. At this point, the Thruway turns southward, passing through the immediate eastern suburbs of Buffalo. As it heads south, it meets the Kensington Expressway (NY 33) at exit 51 and Walden Avenue at exit 52, both cloverleaf interchanges. At exit 52, it passes to the west of the Walden Galleria, a shopping mall situated at the nearby junction of Walden Avenue and NY 277. Two exits later in southern Cheektowaga, I-90 meets I-190, a spur route leading to downtown Buffalo and Niagara Falls, at exit 53.[10]

South of the city, the Thruway meets the Aurora Expressway (NY 400) and the Southern Expressway (US 219) at exits 54 and 55, respectively, in West Seneca. Just southwest of exit 55, I-90 and the Thruway pass through the Lackawanna toll barrier, which serves as the northeast end of the minor closed ticket system. Once again a toll road, the Thruway heads southwestward, roughly paralleling the shoreline of Lake Erie to Blasdell, where it connects to NY 179 (the Milestrip Expressway). Farther southwestward, the Thruway is joined by US 20, which follows a parallel routing to that of the Thruway to the Pennsylvania state line.[10]

As the route passes from Erie County to Chautauqua County, the last on its routing, it cuts through the northwestern portion of the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation, situated on Cattaraugus Creek. The Thruway continues alongside US 20 past Dunkirk and Westfield to the Ripley toll barrier, the southwestern end of the minor closed ticket system just northeast of exit 61 for Shortman Road. Travelers heading eastbound from Pennsylvania can access Shortman Road toll-free. The Thruway ends about 1 mile (1.6 km) after exit 61 at the Pennsylvania state line. I-90, however, continues onward into Pennsylvania as a toll-free highway.[10]

The Berkshire Connector is a 24.28-mile (39.07 km) east–west spur connecting the Thruway mainline in Coeymans to the Massachusetts Turnpike at the Massachusetts state line in Canaan.[2] It is tolled as part of the closed ticket system in place on the mainline between exits 16 and 50. The highway begins at exit 21A off the Thruway southwest of Selkirk in the town of Coeymans (south of Albany)[13] as NY 912M, an unsigned reference route.[6] It proceeds eastward over the Hudson River and into Rensselaer County by way of the Castleton-on-Hudson Bridge. It navigates through the southern, rural portion of the county to exit B1 in Schodack, where the connector meets I-90.[13] The unsigned NY 912M designation terminates here while I-90 joins the Berkshire Connector and follows the spur east into Columbia County.[6][13]

While the Rensselaer County segment follows a mostly east–west routing, the Berkshire Connector in Columbia County takes on a northwest-southeast alignment as the roadway heads towards exit B2 in East Chatham. The junction serves as the northern terminus of the Taconic State Parkway, which connects the spur to the New York City area. About 2 miles (3.2 km) to the southeast is the Canaan toll barrier, which marks the end of the Thruway ticket system. The last exit on the Berkshire Connector is exit B3 for NY 22 just west of the Massachusetts state line in Canaan. The spur continues east to the state line, where it becomes the Massachusetts Turnpike.[13]

The Garden State Parkway Connector is a 2.40-mile (3.86 km) highway that connects the Thruway mainline at exit 14A in Ramapo with the Garden State Parkway at the New Jersey state line.[2] It is designated as NY 982L, an unsigned reference route.[6] The highway begins, in terms of mileposts, at Thruway (I-87 and I-287) exit 14A in Ramapo and heads generally southwestward as a toll-free highway toward the state line. Just north of the state line, the southbound connector meets Red Schoolhouse Road (County Route 41 or CR 41) at a partial diamond interchange.[14] All southbound commercial traffic is forced to exit here as the Garden State Parkway prohibits commercial traffic north of exit 105. Thus, the final 0.31 miles (0.50 km) of the road south of the Red Schoolhouse Road exit is the only part of the Thruway system that prohibits commercial vehicles.[2][15] The connector continues to the state line, where it becomes the tolled Garden State Parkway.[14]

The New York State Thruway system also consists of three other components: the Cross-Westchester Expressway, the New England Thruway and the Niagara Thruway. The Cross-Westchester Expressway, part of I-287, begins at I-87 exit 8 in Elmsford, where I-287 splits from the Thruway mainline, and travels east across Westchester County to I-95, with connections to both the New England Thruway and the Connecticut Turnpike at exit 12 in Rye. The New England Thruway (NET) is a 15.01-mile (24.16 km) section of I-95 under the operation and maintenance of the New York State Thruway Authority. It begins at the Pelham Parkway interchange (exit 8) in the Co-Op City section of the Bronx and continues northeastward into Westchester County to the Connecticut state line, where it connects to the Connecticut Turnpike. The Niagara Thruway comprises the first 21.24 miles (34.18 km) of I-190 from I-90 in Buffalo to NY 384 in Niagara Falls.[2]

A toll superhighway connecting the major cities of the state of New York that would become part of a larger nationwide highway network was proposed as early as 1949. The following year, the New York State Legislature passed the Thruway Authority Act creating the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), an independent public corporation, which would build and manage the turnpike. The project was to be financed through toll revenue bonds and self-liquidating by receipt of tolls, rents, concessions, and other income. The act also stipulated NYSTA adopt a hybrid system of tolls, with barrier tolls collected in urban areas, and long-distance tickets issued in rural areas.[16]

The first section of the Thruway, between Utica and Rochester, opened on June 24, 1954.[1] Other sections of the 426-mile (686 km) mainline between Buffalo and the Bronx were completed and opened throughout 1954 and 1955. The last segment, from Yonkers south to the Bronx, was completed on August 31, 1956. The total cost was $600 million (equivalent to $4.15 billion in 2016), financed by the sale of $972 million in bonds (equivalent to $6.73 billion in 2016).[16][17] At the time, it was the longest toll road in the world. In 1957, the mainline was extended 70 miles (113 km) west from Buffalo along Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania state line. From 1957 to 1960, several spurs of the road were built to connect the road to turnpikes in adjacent states. These were the Berkshire Connector which opened on May 26, 1959, which linked to the Massachusetts Turnpike (itself opening eastwards from close to the New York state line on May 15, 1957), the New England Thruway, which connected to the Connecticut Turnpike, and the Niagara Thruway, a spur leading to Niagara Falls.[16]

On August 14, 1957, the segment of the mainline between the Pennsylvania border and the Adirondack Northway in Albany became part of I-90 while the portions from the Northway south to Newburgh and from Elmsford south to the New York City line were included in I-87. The eastern half of the Berkshire Connector also became part of I-90, creating a gap in the I-90 designation around Albany. The entirety of the New England Thruway became part of I-95 while the Niagara Thruway became I-90N, and later I-190.[18][19] The Elmsford–Suffern section of the mainline was designated as part of I-287 by 1960.[19] The last section of the mainline to receive a designation—from Suffern to Newburgh—finally received one on January 1, 1970, when I-87 was realigned to follow the Thruway between the two locations.[20] The highway was unique in that original signage utilized dark blue backgrounds, the same color blue as displayed on the New York state flag. Over time, these signs were replaced with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-approved green backgrounds.[16]

After the New Jersey Turnpike was built in 1952, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and NYSTA proposed a 13-mile (21 km) extension of the New Jersey Turnpike that would go from its end (at US 46 in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, at the time) up to West Nyack at the Thruway. The portion through New Jersey was to be constructed and maintained by NJTA, while the portion in New York was to be built and maintained by NYSTA. The purpose of this extension was to give motorists a "more direct bypass of the New York City area" to New England by using the Tappan Zee Bridge. The extension was to parallel NY 303 and the Conrail-owned River Line, and have limited interchanges, one of which would be with the Palisades Interstate Parkway. By 1970, it became too expensive to buy right-of-way access, and community opposition was fierce. Therefore, both the NJTA and NYSTA cancelled the project.[21]

In 1990, the state of New York sold the Cross-Westchester Expressway (part of I-287) to NYSTA for $20 million (equivalent to $33.4 million in 2016) in an effort to balance the state's budget.[22][23][17] Similarly, in 1991, the Authority was directed to assume the cost of operating and maintaining the 71-mile (114 km) segment of I-84 in New York, which runs east–west from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line at Brewster.[24] The agreement made at this time between NYSTA and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) allowed NYSTA to transfer I-84 back to the state at any point after 1996 provided that the Thruway Authority gave NYSDOT a one-year notice.[25] Around this time, state officials also investigated the possibility of having NYSTA take over ownership and maintenance of all or part of New York's Interstate Highways.[26]

All tolls along the Thruway were supposed to be abolished when the construction bonds used to build it had been paid off.[26] The last of the bonds were paid off in 1996; however, the tolls remained in place after the New York State Legislature transferred ownership of the New York State Canal System to NYSTA in 1992.[27]

Roughly one week before the November 2006 elections, NYSTA accepted $14 million from the State Senate in exchange for agreeing to cease the collection of tolls at the Black Rock and City Line toll barriers on the Niagara Thruway (I-190) in Buffalo for one year.[28] On October 30, 2006, NYSTA voted to permanently remove the tolls. Both major candidates in the 2006 gubernatorial election, Democrat and eventual victor Eliot Spitzer and Republican John Faso, had pledged to remove the tolls on I-190 if elected. In order to offset the lost toll revenue, NYSTA also voted to return maintenance of I-84 to NYSDOT,[29] as the annual maintenance cost of I-84 was considered to be equal to the amount of annual revenue generated from the Buffalo toll barriers—approximately $14 million.[30] Under the terms of the 1991 agreement between NYSTA and NYSDOT, maintenance of I-84 would become the responsibility of the DOT on October 30, 2007.[24]

In January 2007, State Senator John Bonacic of Mount Hope began drafting legislation to halt the planned transfer of maintenance of I-84. Bonacic asserted that the Thruway Authority had better maintenance practices than NYSDOT, most notably in the field of snow removal. He also claimed that the DOT lacked the time and money needed to match the quality of maintenance that NYSTA performed on I-84.[28] The senator eventually prevailed as the 2007–2008 budget was modified to allocate additional funding to NYSDOT, which would then pay the Thruway Authority to maintain I-84.[31] A formal agreement between the two agencies was reached on September 19. The one-year agreement cost NYSDOT $11.5 million and took effect October 30, the date I-84 was to become DOT-maintained.[24] The agreement was renewed in April 2008 at a cost of $10.3 million, extending the arrangement through October 31, 2009.[32] It remained in place until October 11, 2010, when NYSDOT re-assumed maintenance of the highway. The change was made in the 2010–2011 state budget in an effort to reduce the cost of maintaining I-84.[33] Governor David Paterson—who included the change in the budget—expected that the state would save $3.9 million annually on maintenance costs.[34]

In 1964, the New York State Legislature officially renamed the Thruway in honor of Thomas E. Dewey, the Governor of New York at the time of the Thruway's opening. The official designation is, however, rarely used in reference to the road.[35]

In August 1993, NYSTA became the first agency to implement the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system.[16] By December 1996, it was implemented at all of the Thruway's fixed-toll barriers and at exits along the Berkshire Connector and the New York Cityâ€“Buffalo section of the mainline.[36] E-ZPass was installed at all of the mainline exits by March 1998.[37] On May 14, 2010, a new E-ZPass configuration, consisting of two highway speed E-ZPass lanes in each direction, became operational at the Woodbury toll plaza, with concrete barriers separating the faster traffic from the staffed toll lanes necessary for vehicles not equipped for E-ZPass.[38]

In 1999 NYSDOT, the Federal Highway Administration and NYSTA discussed redesignating the Berkshire Connector as I-90 and redesignating the non-toll part of I-90 from Thruway exit 24 to exit B1 as I-88. The Thruway main line would be designated as both I-90 and I-88 between exits 25A and 24, and as I-90 and I-87 from exit 24 to exit 21A. This was never implemented.[39]

When I-84 was built through the Newburgh area in the early 1960s,[40][41] no interchange was built between I-84 and the Thruway. Instead, the connection was made via a short segment of NY 300, which both I-84 and I-87 meet via interchanges.[42] Construction on a direct connection between the Thruway mainline and I-84 began in August 2003.[43] The portion of the exit carrying traffic from I-84 to the Thruway was opened in July 2009. The opposite direction was opened two months later on September 23.[44] The connection allows cars to travel between I-87, I-84 and NY 300 via splits in the ramp.[45]

There are 27 service areas along the Thruway, all on the New York–Ripley mainline. The service areas, called "travel plazas" by the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), are spaced roughly 30 miles (48 km) apart and are open at all hours of the day. Two plazas—the Angola service area at milepost 447 and the New Baltimore plaza at milepost 127—are accessible from both directions of the Thruway; the remainder are accessible from only one direction. Each plaza features a gas station and a variety of restaurants, at least one of which is open 24 hours.[46] Free Wi-Fi service was added to all 27 service areas on March 1, 2007.[47]

NYSTA also operates the Thruway Authority Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) system, a network of radio stations across the state that broadcast information on traffic conditions along the Thruway. The system broadcasts at 1610 AM in the Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Kingston, and Newburgh areas, 1620 AM in the Finger Lakes and Syracuse areas, 530 AM in the New York City metropolitan area, 540 AM in the vicinity of Utica, and at 98.7 FM in Chautauqua County. HAR is also used to broadcast Amber Alerts if one is issued.[48]

All components of the New York State Thruway system except for the Garden State Parkway Connector and the Cross-Westchester Expressway are tolled in some capacity. The New York–Ripley mainline employs both an open, barrier-based tolling system and a closed, ticket-based tolling system. From the New York City line to the NY 17 exit near Harriman, there are three toll barriers.[49][50] From there northward, a closed system is employed where drivers must obtain tickets which show their point of entry and the cost of traveling from there to their desired point of exit. Upon exiting the Thruway, the ticket must be surrendered and the appropriate toll must be paid.[49][51] Two separate closed systems are used on the Thruway mainline, encompassing all of the mainline between Harriman and the Pennsylvania state line except for a section in and around Buffalo.[49]

The southernmost of the three toll barriers is the Yonkers toll barrier, a bi-directional barrier between exits 6A and 7 in Yonkers. In South Nyack, there is a southbound-only toll gantry for the Tappan Zee Bridge that uses all-electronic tolling at highway speeds, with tolls collected by E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail. Lastly, there is a northbound, commercial traffic-only barrier in Spring Valley.[50] The closed ticket system originally began at the Spring Valley toll barrier[51] but was moved to exit 16 on March 3, 1974, allowing interchanges along the Thruway in Rockland County to be free of tolls. The toll plaza at Suffern was dismantled along with this change.[52] On April 23, 2016, the southbound toll plaza at the Tappan Zee Bridge in Westchester County was closed and replaced with an southbound all-electronic toll gantry on the Rockland County side of the bridge, with tolls payable by E-ZPass or Tolls by Mail.[53] At Harriman, the longer of the two closed, ticket-based systems begins and extends from NY 17 to just east of exit 50 in Amherst. The Berkshire Connector is enclosed within this ticket system, so traveling between the mainline and the connector via exit 21A does not involve crossing a toll barrier, and the connector's exits up to the toll barrier at exit B3 are listed with the mainline exits on tickets for the major closed system. The other system encompasses the portion of the mainline between exit 56 south of Buffalo and exit 61 near the Pennsylvania state line.[49]

To distinguish between exit 16 and the Woodbury toll barrier, Thruway tickets list the NY 17 interchange as exit 16 and the Woodbury toll plaza as exit 15, although the actual exit 15 is situated almost 15 miles (24 km) to the south.[49] Northbound traffic on I-87 traveling through the Woodbury toll barrier is given a ticket while travelers on southbound I-87 must surrender their ticket and pay the appropriate toll. Traffic heading south on I-87 and exiting at exit 16 must pay the appropriate toll for exit 16 at the Harriman toll plaza. Similarly, traffic heading north on I-87 and exiting at exit 16 are charged a fixed-rate toll electronically using E-ZPass or Tolls-By-Mail at the Harriman toll gantry. Traffic entering the Thruway from NY 17 east are charged a toll electronically at the Harriman gantry and, if traveling north, collect a ticket at the Woodbury barrier.[52] (However, this latter situation is less likely to occur because traffic on 17 eastbound is most likely headed south towards New York City, because of 17's south-east gradient beyond Binghamton.) The ticket is identical to that given for exit 15 with the exception that the toll for exit 16 is subtracted from all of the prices.[54][55]

The other components of the system that are tolled have far fewer tolls. On the New England Thruway (I-95), there is a single, fixed-rate toll barrier on I-95 northbound in New Rochelle. Meanwhile, the only tolls along the Niagara Thruway (I-190) are those for major bridges along the highway, namely the North and South Grand Island Bridges.[50]

When the Thruway opened in the mid-1950s, the cost to travel from Buffalo to New York City was $5.60 (equivalent to $41.00 in 2016). The closed ticket system, which at the time extended from Spring Valley to Williamsville, accounted for $5 of the toll, while the remaining $0.60 was charged at the Yonkers ($0.10) and Tappan Zee ($0.50) toll barriers.[51][17] As of April 2010, this trip costs $24.60: $18.35 for the closed ticket system from Williamsville to Woodbury, $5 for the Tappan Zee Bridge, and $1.25 for the Yonkers toll barrier.[56] After the south end of the major closed ticket system was moved from Spring Valley to Woodbury, the Spring Valley toll barrier became a fixed-rate toll for both cars and trucks.[52] The toll for cars was removed in July 1997. At the time, the toll was $0.40 (equivalent to $1.00 in 2016).[17][57]

As of April 2010, the Berkshire Connector costs $0.85 to travel between the Massachusetts state line and exit B1. Tolls west of exit B1 vary based on which direction a motorist travels on I-87.[58] The toll on the minor closed ticket system from Pennsylvania to exit 55 south of Buffalo is $3.15.[59] On I-190, the Grand Island Bridges cost $1 to cross while the New Rochelle toll barrier on I-95 costs $1.75 to pass through.[50] The Black Rock and City Line toll barriers on the Niagara Thruway in Buffalo charged $0.75 at the time of their removal on October 30, 2006.[29]

For exits on the Cross-Westchester Expressway, the New England Thruway, or the Niagara Thruway, see the articles on those highways.

The Berkshire Connector is a closed-ticket system that extends east from the Thruway mainline to the Canaan Toll Barrier.

The entire route is in Chestnut Ridge, Rockland County. [60]All exits are unnumbered.