With Western New Yorkers paying more than $64 million in Thruway tolls annually, Erie County Clerk Kathleen C. Hochul has revived her fight against toll hikes and in favor of relocating the Williamsville and Lackawanna toll barriers.

Hochul said Tuesday she has launched an online petition against further toll increases at her

www.erie.gov/clerk

Web site. She said she also has renewed with Gov. David A. Paterson’s office her yearlong effort to get the state to use federal stimulus money while it is still available to move the Williamsville and Lackawanna toll barriers. She derided as a “disgrace” statistics showing $64.2 million in tolls were collected for Thruway use in Western New York in 2008, up from $61.3 million in 2007. She said the 5 percent hike that took effect Sunday made for a 45 percent increase since 2005.

She called the toll increase, along with rising motor vehicle fees and gas prices, “nothing more than an insult to our already overburdened motorists.”