Hundreds protest toll increases on Pinellas Bayway

ST. PETE BEACH -- More than 400 people turned out for a standing-room-only meeting about toll increases on the Pinellas Bayway, and many criticized the plan as expensive and unfair.

"What the citizens are saying is 'we've had enough, It's time to get rid of the toll.' "' said Travis Jarman, co-chairman of the Citizens Bayway Task Force.

Under the state plan, the cost of driving east and west along the Bayway to and from St. Pete Beach would jump from 50 cents to $1.25 starting July 1. Over the next 30 years, the toll would rise in phases to $2.50.

Under the same plan, the cost of driving south along the Bayway to Fort DeSoto Park would jump from 35 cents to $2.50 after July 1. Over the next 30 years, the toll would rise in phases to $5.

And those figures actually are lower than an earlier plan, which would have raised the cost of the east-west toll to $3.50 and the south toll to $7.25 after 30 years.

Scott W. Collister, DOT director of transportation development, said the two bridges on the Bayway are 46 years old and need to be replaced. The fund from the current tolls contains about $37-million, not enough to pay for the $179-million cost of the new bridges.

More than 400 people crammed into the St. Pete Beach Community Center for the DOT's public meeting Wednesday night. In one concession, the DOT announced that residents of Bayway Isles will be allowed to continue purchasing an annual toll pass for $15. The DOT had said it intended to phase out that arrangement.

Before the tolls can be increased, the Florida Legislature would have to repeal a law that sets the toll for Bayway routes.

-- Curtis Krueger, Times staff Writer

Kenny Farrell , of St. Petersburg, fishes for mackerel off  the pier at Fort DeSoto Park. Farrell said he is a retiree who lives on a budget and will not be able to afford coming to the park to fish if the tolls on the Bayway are raised.  Farrell has been coming to Fort DeSoto to fish for more than 20 years. [Martha Rial, Times]

Comments

[Dave]

Now I am going to have to pay as much as $5.00 bucks to go to ft desotoBeach I was born and raised here where is my native discount.I've paid for years and years , let the tourists pay it. In this time of economic troubles , where Me and others have to NOT spend on Entertainment.At least we could go to the beach, Now we cannot even to afford to drive out to our / MY beach , Thanx for increase , bunch of *&*%^^$&%^%*&

Is there any way to give park visitors a toll refund, but make the Tiera Verde and Isla del Sol residents pay? They are a bunch of rich whiners squatting in their expensive homes on our barrier islands and they resist paying their fair share of anything.

[Citizen's Bayway Task Force]

More information is available at the Citizen's Bayway Task Force web site:

www.baywaytaskforce.org

What a bunch of whiners!

[Citizen's Bayway Task Force]

More information is available at the Citizen's Bayway Task Force web site:

www.baywaytaskforce.org

Bunch of babies, pay up.

Vote no on Tolls. Vote No on Jim Frishe.

[Dave]

The Govt doesnt get it. It is too big, too much pork. Trim all the fat and there is plenty of money for bridges. It will never happen as long the people on the dole have the right to vote themselves a raise. Bring on the Fair Tax (.org)

[K]

Not everyone out near Ft Desoto is rich! Why should they have to pay that much to go to and from their homes everyday? Ridiculous!!!

[Tino]

Tolls are one of the few taxes that are truly fair, because you can see where the money is directly going.

Asking everyone else in the United States to pay for your bridge through their income taxes makes no sense.

If you don't want to pay your "$5.00 bucks" [sic], then don't. Get there some other way.

[Rodger]

I dont go down that way so they can start charging $7.25 now for all I care. and there should be no discount bridge pass, after all fair is fair and you can't side with the people that live out there its their american given right to be treated the same as others.

[Tuck]

I like to take my dog to the Ft. Desoto dog beach, but if I have to pay $5.00 in tolls each time, I'll quit going. It's especially not worth it if outrageous gas prices are factored into the trip costs.

This sounds like a lose/lose situation to me. The city loses money each time I would have gone to the beach, and I lose something fun to do.

I say raise the toll to $0.75, or $1.00 tops. Otherwise, the increase in toll fees will be offset by the decrease in use.

[jen]

Not everyone who lives on St. Pete Beach is rich. I am a renter of a modest house who lives on a modest income. Charging us $2.50 (soon to be $5.00) every time we leave the island is unconscionable. Please keep the commuter pass cost reasonable.

[Dan Mahoney]

To the jackass who claims that Tierra Verde folks are "squatting" in their homes: First, we hold deeds to our properties and our individual annual real estate taxes, wind insurance, flood insurance and mortgages are most likely more than your total net worth and total lifetime earnings. So quit complaining, you wanna-be. If anything, we residents are the ones who deserve a break. Let the visitors pay!

[Rodger]

The people of tierra verde can afford not to get a discount just ask Dan.

[KiKi]

So..there's no money to pay for the bridges? Wasn't the toll specifically to keep the bridges and roads in good repair? Where has all the money gone? Florida seems to specialize in corrupt local government and people with short attention spans.

[tom]

What happened to all the money they collected for all those past years? I thought a few years ago they said they had surplus because the old bridges were paid for years ago but they kept collecting money. Maybe we were just paying for toll collectors jobs and that's it.

I can see some increase but what they plan on doing is just ridiculous. I have been here for 20 years and now not only real estate is way to much, now they want to take away our recreation. Not much left here to do that is affordable!

[Dennis]

People saying that residents need to pay need to look at it from the following standpoint. Lets say FDOT puts a toll road around your community and your community alone and it costs you 1$ to get in and out of your community, would you feel that to be fair if your community was the only one paying those tolls? It is not about where you live, it is about equal amounts. If the bridges out here served only the residents, sure, charge the crap out of us, but if any of you come out here then you too should share that burden. The thing is, there are a whole lot more of you then there are of us on these bridges if you counted cars of residents versus visitors. The amount of usage we get versus what it costs us versus anyone else is disparate and that is the crux of this issue. That and the idea that if the FDOT takes over they can hike the rates whenever they want so these numbers are just starters.

[jackie]

The legislature is going to pass it regardless what the citizens want. This is Florida, ignore the taxpaying citizens. You got your reduction in property taxes, now you people suffer. This is Florida, stinking more and more.

[Allan]

Cancel all debts. Expropriate without compensation the banks and bloodsucking credit card companies. Let small self-employed mom and pops and poor, working class, and lower middle class homeowners own their homes outright. Expropriate all major industry, banking, corporations, biggest real estate companies. For a rationally and centrally planned, socialist economy, administered by elected councils of workers and employeees. Down with both Democratic and Republican Parties. For a Workers' Party fighting on the basis of the principle of the class struggle for a Workers' Government comprised of elected councils of workers and employees.

[Allan]

Cancel all tolls, all sales taxes -- regressive taxes on working people, poor people, lower middle class people, people on fixed incomes. Expropriate all major banks, industries, corporations, big real estate companies. Expropriate all big unused office buildings, all big unused condo apartment buildings, and turn them over to the homeless. Expropriate without compensation the oil cartel, all big oil companies. For a rationally and centrally planned socialist economy administered democratically by elected councils of workers and employees. For a workers' party fighting on the basis of the principle of the class war to make a workers' America, a socialist America.

[chuck]

Geez Dan, you are kinda nuts. You sound like one of those guys who talks about everything they have to compensate for self confidence issues. Congratulations on the purchase of your home, dork.

[Dr_Dug]

Hey Dan
I live in snell Isle and you ain't crap. I hold a deed to my properties and my individual annual real estate taxes, wind insurance, flood insurance and mortgages are most likely more than your total net worth and total lifetime earnings, including your wet diapers. So quit complaining you wanna-be...and pay up!!

[Con]

Re: Hey Dan posted by Dr_Dug

Dr_Dug, Your arrogance isn't helpful -- it doesn't add anything useful to the debate.

[Mike]

My family and I like to go to the campground at fort desoto. If less people visit the campground because of the tolls, then maybe the prices at the campground will go up. That would be a loss to everyone. What needs to be done, is Florida residents pay one low price to use the bridge and all others pay a higher price. We should get a discount for being residents. That all I can think of.

[Jeff Mac]

I realize that the recently completed Treasure Island bridge project isn't on the same scale as the proposed Pinellas Bayway project, but how can the State of Florida pay for the T.I. bridges but not collect a toll? My point? Why should people have to pay to visit St. Pete Beach but not a neighboring beach community?

[rick]

I’m appalled, it figures the only concessions are for the rich or well off living on the Isles who get an annual toll pass for $15 that’s giving them 51 weeks free a year while the rest pays for it.example...2 x 1.25 = 2.50 a day x say 6 days x 2.50 =15$ week .The tourists can’t pay for this they already have to pay outrageous gas prices. They just will leave Fort Desoto off their travel list, that’s a shame. Or they will go there once see the tolls have gone way up and not go back. The locals can’t afford to pay for it either ;so much for relatively cheap fishing and a beautiful park The lions share should be paid by the people who use and need this every day, not the people who can least afford it. Funny how they made a concession for the rich so they can build another bridge in the future for them but they almost get off, free of paying. We all pay high taxes, high insurance, high gas, and now this .I think they should of reworked the fees better than this, with all levels of gov’t kicking in some to the fund since the fort is on the National Register of Historic Places. Also the people using it daily should pay a little more maybe just raise the fees to .75 and to a dollar in a five years. But giving passes for only 15$ for the year?, is why we are under funded now. Maybe we should just bypass the Isles and have a bridge go straight to fort Desoto see how they feel.

[lisa]

residents of pinellas county should not pay any tolls or parking we work and pay taxes that should be enough...
come up with a sticker/pass for fla residents
all others would have to pay not us...
i know to simple of an idea!!

[Citizen's Bayway Task Force]

Posted by rick:'But giving passes for only 15$ for the year?, is why we are under funded now."

The reason for the $15 pass (of which there are only 731) is because in 1960 when the Bayway roadbed was being built the state needed the property that was owned by the developer of Furen Fill (now sometimes called "Bayway Isle"). The developer exchanged the property in return for toll-free access for the residents of Bayway Isle. That agreement remains in force. The state would like to revoke it, which would be fine with the 700 pass holders as long as they are able to get their property back.

The state legislature's staff analysis of HB 287 says this:

"FDOT has stated that if the residents of Bayway Isles (sic) initiate litigation and prevail, the increased toll estimated from the 731 current $15 pass holders will not impair the planned projects if it does not materialize."

[Jenna Knippen]

Well I am a lifelong resident of South St. Pete, been going to Ft. Desoto my whole life. I'm 23 years old and going to school. I go out there on a regular basis, at least once a week (but as much as 3 times a week). I think it's a great place to take my dog (dog beach) and also study. However if they increase this to 2.50 I will never go there again. Unfortunately with the price of gas and then another 3.75 to get out there, it's not worth it. So the .85 they were getting from me will cut to 0. Not to mention if I go out to St. Pete Beach I'll go through South Pasadena, mainly out of spite. I hope the regulars that go out to Ft. Desoto boycott and don't pay the 2.50. I would gladly pay .50, .75, 1.00 is pushing it, but 2.50 is greedy. On another issue, as a college student that goes out to the beach bars on occasion. That 2.50 toll there and back is equivalent to a drink. My friends and I were talking about it last night; beach is a long drive out, nice place to go but not on a lost drink to the tolls.

[Robert]

Why have any toll? These are the only toll bridges to the bay.

1. The Treasure Island toll was removed and a new bridge put in place.
2. Tom Stewart bridge has no toll and recent bridge.
3. Park Blvd. bridge has no toll and new bridge.
4. Ulmerton Rd. bridge has no toll and new bridge.
5. John's Pass is getting a new bridge and there's no toll.
6. The bridge between Sand Key and Clearwater Beach is new and has no toll.
7. The several bridges to Clearwater & Clearwater Beach is new and has no toll.

The state built numerous bridges in the area without tolls and removed the toll at Treasure Island.

If the toll is kept, then those residents are the ONLY ones paying their own way, while their property taxes go to give everyone else a FREE ride. And those folks tell the paying folk to lump it. Who are the real bigots? They want (and got) new bridges without tolls, why should the others be any different. By what right should they pay extra, and soon to be extreme taxes, while their tax dollars give everyone else FREE bridges. No right at all. Let everyone be equal: Tolls for all or none! Abolish the toll like all the others.

[Brett]

I agree with you Robert. Either make all of them toll facilities or none.