Toll Hikes
Alternatives to the toll hike:
From the Citizen’s Bayway Task Force
FDOT has an annual budget of nearly $9 billion for use in such projects as planning, design, construction, maintenance of the state's transportation system. There are many sources of transportation funding that can be explored.
More than $200 million a year in transportation funding is diverted to non-transportation uses!
Additional sources include:
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Return of any diverted funds to the Bayway toll reserve account
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Redirection of some of the $500 million in annual FDOT bridge maintenance and replacement funds
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Allocation of a portion of Penny for Pinellas (as has already been done for the Belleair Beach, Dunedin, and Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridges)
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Federal funding such as was used to pay for the Treasure Island Causeway (now completely toll-free)
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Redirection of toll revenue funds from the Sunshine Skyway Toll System