By Patricia Lee – Owner, Destinites.com
This month in our local’s Facebook group (www.Facebook.com/groups/Destinites), there was discussion about eliminating the Mid-Bay Bridge toll for residents. Here is the link to the petition, if you would like to sign, and below are some comments made under the post which was shared to the group. Link: https://www.change.org/p/eliminate-mid-bay-bridge-tolls-for-okaloosa-and-walton-county-residents OR contact your Mid-Bay Bridge governing board at MID-BAY.com.
Member replies to the Mid-Bay Bridge toll controversy:
1. What’s the distribution of revenue from residents versus tourists?
I’m all for cutting us that live here a break. But, you also have to account for the fact that usage equals maintenance requirements. Average tourists will use the bridge maybe three or four times per visit.
People who live here are using it sometimes that many times per day.
Which of these numbers do you think would be most responsible for the heavy usage? And, thus, maintenance requirements of said bridge?
Removing the tolls for us would then increase the tax burden on the county elsewhere to make up for the shortfalls in revenue to maintain said bridge, or cause shortages elsewhere.
Interested to see the numbers before making any decision one way or another. But I would prefer these factors be looked into for everyone when making these sorts of decisions.
- Maintain the bridge? Have you seen the trash on that bridge?
The bridge was built with inferior products and has been crumbling at the base that holds the bridge up for years. You could even see the rebar through the areas where the product crumbled off. And there’s been issues with the expansion joints as well. It’s a money pit that we have been paying since it opened and toll prices have increased a lot for locals, too.
I differ with the opinion that tourists only use it three or four times while here. The fact is even if they just use it coming and going, that’s a lot of revenue.
Has anyone counted the vehicles on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or turnover day during the week for just 10 minutes? There are hundreds of vehicles that come across or leave in 10 minutes. And if you count 300 (and there are more than that) and assume that they all have the Sunpasses, they would collect at the very least $5,400+ an hour during peak times. There’s at least eight hours of peak usage on that bridge which equals $129,600 for just 24 peak hours over three days.
Now, add the people who use it the other 16 hours for those same three days to equal another 48 hours to add to that $129,600 and you can see how much money they make in just three days in peak season. Add another four days of tolls and the bridge authority makes a ton of money off the tolls.
They can afford to not charge locals or at the very least no more than $.50 per crossing. There has been no real transparency on the real total per week that they collect.
- It’s a decent idea. I think maybe keeping the tolls for a few years and using some of the revenue to add a lane on each side. I’m certainly not knowledgeable in engineering, but it seems like a bridge with one lane on each side was a bad decision.
- It’s waaay past time to stop the tolls for residents.
- When I lived in Hilton Head, residents could pay a monthly fee, like $40-$50. I couldn’t believe it when we moved here and found out that wasn’t offered here.
- This elected official has the plan to end them. https://midbaynews.com/post/boyles-talks-mid-bay-bridge
If you are a Destin resident or in the close surrounding area, I invite you to join our private, targeted group for locals and property owners at Facebook.com/groups/Destiniteswith 11,800+ members (Est. Oct. 2018). Check out our local business directory at Destinites.comwhere 400+ local businesses are already listed and enjoy advertising in our targeted group.
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