Citizen's Bayway Task Force
Position on Tolls
From the
Citizen’s Bayway Task Force
Several people generally sympathetic to the Task Forces Goals have told us
that they begin with the assumption that Bayway tolls will have to go up,
not as much as FDOT proposed, but up none-the-less. We do not agree with
that assumption. The following reflects our thinking.
The Task Force came into existence to prevent a rush to expensive bridge
construction funded by unreasonable toll increases. We did not begin
believing that tolls should be reduced or eliminated, but our investigations
have led us to conclude that eventual elimination should be a goal. Why?
1. Historical reasons
We have been told by long time resident after long time resident that when
the tolls were first established for the Bayway they were promised that when
the bonds were retired the tolls would be eliminated. The Bonds were
retired, but tolls continued. The toll revenue became an FDOT cash cow with
funds diverted to other projects, and never reimbursed to the Bayway
account. Pinellas County Administrator Freq Marquis stated at the
Commission workshop on March 25th that during his previous tenure he had
been informed that Sunshine Skyway and Pinellas Bayway funds were "combined"
and that some of that money had been used for Ulmerton Road and U.S. 19
improvements. Toll payers have made more than their fair contribution over more
than forty years. Locking them in another twenty years seems unreasonable.
2. Reasons of equity
The proposed toll increases would have paid for two new bridges. But many of
those who pay the toll don’t use either bridge. A small minority crosses
both in any one trip. Yet all would pay. The user fee idea holds that those
who use the facility should pay for it. But when non-users pay the user fee
the concept is distorted beyond fairness. It begs the question as to which
non-users can be fairly charged. The answer, of course, is either none or
all.
Nor are our roads usually financed by user fees. We all pay taxes, and part
of those funds build and maintain our roads. Over the last few years tolls
have been removed from all other Pinellas toll roads and bridges. New
bridges have been built without tolls. There are no tolls on the new
Memorial Causeway, Belleair Beach, Dunedin Causeway, Treasure Island, and Bayside bridges. The John’s Pass bridge replacement
does not involve toll collection. Creating another bond issue based on a
long term commitment to toll paying by Bayway users would be manifestly
inequitable. The only apparent reason seems to be, “We’ve got you and we
won’t let you go.” Even in difficult budget times that screams of
unfairness.
3. Reason of Inefficiency
Toll collection costs too much. The least expensive toll collection is the
fifty cent east west toll.
FDOT reports that it costs
more than sixteen cents to collect that
fifty cents, or one third of the gross revenue. The net contribution from tolls
collected at the Ft. De Soto entryway totals only $88,000 annually. No other means of taxation
approaches that level of inefficiency. Using
toll revenue is simply too costly a way to do the job.
Existing data on bridge safety, and sufficiency demonstrate that it is not
necessary to start construction in fall 2008 as FDOT has proposed. Time
exists to re-examine what is needed when, to find possible costs savings in
the project, and to locate and schedule revenue sources that are not as
inefficient as tolls. We believe that by a careful examination by local and
state officials and citizen representatives, we can find a better solution.