Letter: Why I Am In Firm Opposition to Bridge Tolls
Rep. Daniel P. Reilly writes about the decision to add tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge.
In this past legislative session, there was not a single action taken more harmful to our local economy than the imposition of bridge tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge in the budget for Fiscal Year 2013, passed on June 8th by a 57-15 vote in the House of Representatives.
Without question, I was unequivocally opposed to the concept and had many questions go unanswered. For a proposal with such serious potential impact to my constituents, there was little homework done by the Governor, and, if there was, it was never shared with the Legislature.
Before the House Finance Committee, I was told by the Department of Transportation that the tolls were needed to relieve pressure off of the DOT, to the tune of possibly $12-15 million.
Those were the only numbers I was ever provided with. Was an economic impact study done? No.
How much revenue is anticipated from the bridge? A good question, but one apparently not good enough to be answered for the legislature voting on the proposal.
Why can’t DOT just maintain the bridges they do have, instead of letting them fall into the water? Well the answer to that question seems to be the most elusive of all. Without a doubt, I was not sold on the proposal. Furthermore, the proposal before the legislature in the budget contained some major mistakes that needed to be rectified. They weren’t.
The Department of Transportation will be moving the Sakonnet River, Newport, Mount Hope, and Jamestown Bridges into the “East Bay Bridge System,” which will allow for tolls on the Sakonnet River and Newport Bridges. Any excess toll revenue after maintenance and debt service has been paid will go into the “East Bay Infrastructure Fund,” which will be available for projects throughout Newport and Bristol Counties.
So, Bristol County, with no toll bridges, will be able to take from the fund that Newport County taxpayers are disproportionately funding. Furthermore, there are no assurances in the law that the DOT will continue to fund Newport County projects in the state Transportation Improvement Program, and not divert money to projects elsewhere since we have this other “pot of cash” which we can use.
I requested that the budget be amended to provide for these changes, and the amendments failed.
Some would say that this would seem unfair, that Newport County shouldn’t reap all of the benefits, and that, without tolls, other communities would be unfairly paying for our bridges. Of course, in a year where Aquidneck Island taxpayers helped bail out the Central Falls pensions to the tune of $2.6 million, subsidize other transportation projects throughout the state through our gas taxes, and have been paying for the entire Central Falls School District since around when I was born, other legislators and the Governor’s Office apparently have an oddly-conceived notion of “what is fair.”
I am also concerned that this funding source, if successful, will dry up when the state finds itself in a cash crunch and wants to move the revenue into the general fund. Remember the “temporary” sales tax increase to pay off the DEPCO bonds? We are still paying it.
And we paid off the DEPCO bonds years ago.
Forgive me for not exactly trusting a state government with a very poor history when it comes to “restricted receipt accounts.” This proposal also does not take into account that GARVEE funds, borrowed in anticipation of future federal highway revenue, were used to pay for the new Sakonnet River Bridge, the I-Way in Providence, and the Route 403 Connector to Quonset Point in North Kingstown among other projects.
The toll proposal does not mention at all how much of the remaining GARVEE debt, estimated at around $500 million, will be supported by the tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge. Regardless, it is certainly taking a load off of other communities that will undoubtedly have the debt for their projects taken care of by Newport County while still enjoying the projects paid for out of the same pot of cash as ours did. For many reasons, the proposal, now passed, to place tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge will be extremely harmful to my constituents, and that is why I voted against it in committee and on the floor, and voted for many amendments to change it.
Moving forward, I have been contacted by many constituents as to what they can do to fight this back, before 2014 when the tolls are expected to be implemented. Residents and the business community in Newport County need to stand together to put pressure on the Governor’s Office and legislative leaders to scrap this ill-conceived plan. If my constituents allow me the privilege of serving them for another term in office, I will be introducing legislation on the first day of the next session to roll back this proposal.
In a budget of more than $8 billion, we can find $15 million, if that is what is needed. The first step is for our leaders to be honest about what is needed to properly fund our infrastructure, and then craft an equitable plan to get it done.
Rep. Daniel P. Reilly
Bear401
7:21 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
Oh I think all of us know that any extra money if not all of it will eventually find it's way into the General Fund as all other funds do. Then you'll see even more pay upgrades & jobs created for politically connected cronies & possibly more new departments to put them in.
Robert E
11:20 am on Friday, June 22, 2012
If there is any extra money then the toll is too high and needs to be lowered. If the state realizes there are funds to be had not only will the money go to the general fund they will raise the toll and toll the Mt. Hope and Jamestown bridges for the extra revenue. the state will soon find they have a new cash cow on the backs of Newport county residents.
Nancy Tallmadge
2:58 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
where to begin. No impact has been done on how this will hurt Aquidneck Island business. It will hurt, as many people have already stated that they won't come to the businesses and spend the money to get there. Another is the economy. Many people are out of work, don't have the money to buy food, meds, etc.The governor and everyone else who thinks this is a good idea does not have to travel the bridge daily and if they did, probably wouldn't have to pay anyway. I am a Tiverton resident who travels to Narragansett daily for work, so now I will be supporting 2 bridges. This is not fair for myself or any other individuals this will affect. This is not fair that only certain Rhode Islanders will have to pay and others nothing. I was for the raise on the Newport Bridge. I realize we need funds for the bridges, but to put it on the backs of those of us already paying is not right. Raise the gas tax, then it will affect all Rhode Islanders, or look at other locations for tolls. They need to do studies and see whether it will be worth it. Also, how it will impact other towns like Bristol and Warren. Their traffic is horrible already and when that toll goes in, the traffic will increase as people change their routes to avoid the tolls. Again, Chafee and all the others who voted for this are in their own little worlds and don't seem to care. Take another look at this. This will hurt a lot of people and put more people out of work.
getreal
3:14 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Dan, you have failed us........I will not be voting for you this year period! This bridge toll issue is just the icing on the cake of how you have let me down...I would love to see the majority of your fellow Reps replaced this year. Maybe less time on abortion issues and more on Newport County could of made a difference.
Keith
10:06 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
So did Dan fail us? Interesting tidbit...he was the only East Bay legislator (other than Dan Gordon, but he shouldn't count) who actually voted against the budget with the tolls in it...now the budget needed fifty votes to pass, and it passed on a 57-15 vote. So if the eight East Bay legislators (from Newport and Bristol Counties) all voted against it, then the budget would have failed by one vote and there would be no tolls. So who, exactly, failed us? Dan Reilly? Or his eight colleagues who voted for the budget that put the tolls on? (I hope Jay Edwards really likes his pot legalization bill...me thinks he had to vote for the budget that was bad for his district after the Speaker gave him that one...)
Mark D
5:07 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
No problem putting it on the backs of Newport and Jamestown though right Dan? Good luck with the legislation Dan, however every Non east bay Rep and Senator voted against us, gonna take a lot to get them to change their minds. Maybe just maybe you can find a solution that fixes our whole states infrastructure I believe we just need $3 billion to fix it all. In the mean time see what you can do about getting W.main Rd in Portsmouth fixed after all Middletown seems to be getting all the upgrades lately, while Portsmouth crumbles.
Keith
10:08 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Mark - about the non-East Bay reps and senators who voted against this...the budget needed fifty votes to pass (under our Constitution) and passed on a 57-15 vote. Reilly and Gordon were the only East Bay reps to vote against it. If their eight colleagues (the others from Newport and Bristol Counties) had voted with them and against the budget, it, and the tolls, would have failed by one vote,,,so I think we should be asking not for better legislative lifting from Reilly and a little more courage to buck House leadership from his colleagues...
Mark D
6:13 am on Saturday, June 23, 2012
I think where your logic fails there is that you believe all east bay reb were against tolls on the sakonnet. Remember if there were no toll on the sakonnet then the Pell toll goes up. The three reps from there weren't going to let that happen if they could prevent it, guess what they did.
Bob S.
7:32 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
getreal - I am a bit confused. Are you saying you don't like the tolls? Because in that case Dan made it clear he voted against them...twice actually. If you like tolls.on the bridge then I guess you have a valid beef with him and his colleagues who voted against it, but you should probably find another blog to ramble on...I doubt you will find that the tolls are very popular in Portsmouth. If you don't like Dan for other reasons than that's fine, but on this one he was right as (I think) you meant to indicate(?).
Bob S.
7:36 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Mark - I think the larger point is that we have to get off the idea that its us versus them when it comes to funding projects...the Newport bridge has a toll because it was built as a toll bridge. End.of.story. but the people of middletown and Newport pay gas taxes.like we do and should be able to reap the benefits of that without having to pay extra. If.your logic follows through than there is no equity in transportation funding until there is a toll on everything...
Mark D
8:06 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Actually my point would be more along the lines that the Mt Hope bridge was a toll bridge they removed the tolls and used the money from the Pell to pay for the Mt Hope. Now I remember when that happened you could hear all those people from Newport and Jamestown crying foul. However not a peep for Portsmouth and Bristol. Then when it was going to be the Mt. Hope that was going to get the toll all you hear is why are they targeting us in Newport county. I guess my point here is that these bridges, particularly the Mt Hope and the Pell, are very expensive to maintain. We are not talking about maintaining what 4 miles of surface road we are talking about maintaining 4+ miles of bridge roads. These require a considerable amount of maintenance, and the maintenance is not cheep I believe the the RITBA has it pegged at $100 million for a 10 year period that started a couple of years ago. The budget that RIDOT has is not increasing in fact it is getting smaller every year. There just aren't a great deal of options to increase that revenue. Right now if you are traveling through RI you don't stop to buy gas here everyone knows it is too expensive. We can't toll any of the interstates without federal waiver, however there are no waivers available. You can raise the gas tax true however how high before you lose more revenue to MA and CT.
Mark D
8:17 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
We all benefit from the gas tax and get equitable distribution of transportation funding. Do you think that the escape bridge is being funded be Portsmouth no, how about the project that just recently happened in Middletown on W.Main Rd, or the one a few years earlier on E.Main Rd, how about all the repaving projects in Newport Memorial Blvd, Parts of Ocean drive many side streets. If the state paid for the upkeep of the Pell and the Mt Hope bridges we would be getting quite a bit more than our share, or the rest of our roads would be neglected even more than they are now. One more point it is very common to toll large bridges like these regardless of how many of them are tolled just look at NYC GW Bridge, lincoln tunnel, Holland Tunnel or the tapanzee bridge,Delaware Memorial bridges, Virginia Bridge tunnel, and countless others these cost a great deal to build and maintain it really is part of being on and island. Unless you can find a way to close the funding gap, tolls are going to be the way. Also since day one the state has wanted to toll the sakonnet so by your reasoning it was built as a toll bridge so END. Of. Story.
Bob S.
8:15 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
You bring up good points...but when RIDOT gets hungry for more and more REVENUE, let's remember that there is a $3 billion general fund we can.divert spending from if we feel that infrastructure is important enough...it does not have to be about new.revenue...
Mark D
8:22 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Oh I would be all for that defund everything but infrastructure. We would soon find out what we can live without.
Mark D
8:32 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
THe biggest problem with this state isn't a toll on bridges it's total disregard for business. We have a deep water port with rail access great for manufacturing. You will never get a major manufacturer to come here way too expensive, the taxes and the stupid regulations. The GA has never met a tax it didn't like. We are small and need the jobs we should have the best tax rate in the northeast instead we have one of the worst in the country.
Bob S.
10:02 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Well I am in total agreement with you there...as far as the bridge goes...another side of this that Reilly is alluding to in his letter is that there was no real discussion of alternatives. I have heard from many people that if there had to be a toll, why not put it at Rt. 24 on the state line? It would be far from ideal but would be guaranteed to catch as much out of state traffic as possible...all can be summed up with this being another classic RI GA rush job!
Mark D
3:17 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
You know why they aren't putting it there, for the very reason you want it there because it would be easy to circumvent. The only people you would get would be the ones that don't have any clue about how to get around it. Fish road would be turned into a parking lot with all the traffic.
Shades of Gray
6:40 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
What do we do when the toll is up? How can we boycott it? I just feel we need to do some collective action. Wish a bunch of could get some kind of alternative going...like a ferry business or something that could take away from the bridge or a public bus that shuttles people back and forth across the bridge from park and rides on either side...there must be something we can do besides depend on political fairness that doesn't exist...
Claire Arrico
12:03 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
We needed help and still do to not have this toll put on this bridge. Who ever can help us please do. I wrote the Govenors office to no avail. I pleaded with them to please realize how much we pay already to live and work on this Island. Our food, gas, haircuts, vets, car maintance, etc. are much higher than off the Island. I bought a meduim lemonade in Providence yesterday $1.75 here $3.00. Just an example of the higher cost to live here. This is not fair to us here on the Island or to our famlies and friends who come to visit us weekely. It will cost our family with the pass $5.00 to visit us on top of gas. They can not afford this, so no one took into account how everyone is affected by this bridge toll. I have friends who have small business here that will be greatly affected and will eventually close. They will loose there personel because they will have to cross this bridge twice a day to work here. The do not make much now and to have to pay a toll of $30 a week $120 a month they will not be able to and will have to leave there jobs here. Can anyone help us I don't know, it seems lately WE The People do not have a say in much anymore.
Mark D
2:10 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Hi Claire, It is a shame that so many will be so adversely affected. I do want you to know that the maximum toll for one month is $40 for the Pell bridge which will be similar to the toll on the Sakonnet. Once a toll goes up it almost never comes down, I say almost because the Mt Hope toll came down, otherwise I would say never come down. I feel your pain about the gas prices I drove by the Mobil on W. Main Rd and it was 13 cents more than the cumberland farms on E. Main which is about 10 cents higher than Fall River. The biggest problem that we face with the toll is not putting one up, which is the result of very poor legislative action by our state Gov't. You see you can't put a toll up after the bridge is complete once it's done it's done. This is a Federal rule or law. At the current level of funding from the RI gas tax and the federal Gov't the day the bridge opens there is no money to maintain it, that is a fact. We have a backlog of road and bridge projects in excess of $3 billion dollars, hence no money to maintain the new bridge. Without new revenue streams the state is in for a lot of pain. You see the RI GA believes any problem can be solved by a Tax, the problem with that is the more taxes the less jobs, the less jobs the lower the revenue. The GA also believes that the underprivileged need to be taken care of, not helped but taken care of. We need to help these people off the welfare rolls and change the rules for receiving welfare in this State.
Herb Weiss
8:44 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Claire, I feel for and your family, and want you to keep doing what you're doing, keep fighting for equality on Aquidenck Island. We all need to stick together and work to stop these additional taxes on the People of Aquidneck Island and Newport County, we already pay $ 18,320,000.00 in the Pell toll... NO MORE TOLLS...
Shades of Gray
6:23 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Mark, What does it mean that $40 is the maximum montly toll? Doesn't it depend on how often you cross? And, Claire, what is "the pass" , how do you figure $5 for your family to visit?
Mark D
7:28 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
With an ez pass the Maximum monthly toll is $40 once you hit the $40 you are no longer charged, regardless of how many times you cross.
Herb Weiss
7:42 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
A toll is simply a tax, The state will lose much more money in tax revenue along with casino revenue than the toll will generate. We could again apply a federal waiver and we'd get it. Tolls can be put anywhere,not just bridges put it elsewhere in Rhode island. The other thing is what's the rush with the sakonnet puddle jump toll tax. This bridge will not need any work for 15 years.Let's use federal money for future projects just like the rest of the state. We issue highway bonds to repair all roadways in this state... Why should it be any different here on Aquidneck Island. They want to force feed us with another tax and I assure you they'll be litigation against the state on the Sakonnet toll tax.
Herb Weiss
7:56 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Hey, did anyone see the five planes over Newport yesterday advertising in the sky for Mohegan Sun??? With the new toll they figure Newport Grand will close... They don't waste any time do they??? NO toll in Connecticut, don't bother going to Newport to gamble.
Mark D
1:33 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
Maybe people go to CT to gamble because it is a real casino with real tables. Maybe the are trying to get to people before the Ma. casinos go up. If someone is stupid enough to gamble then paying a toll to get there is not gonna kill them. After all they believe they are gonna win.
Mark D
1:29 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
There is a misconception here on Portsmouth Patch, a few as a matter of fact.
One, the Sakkonet bridge is paid for, it was paid for by the state of RI and the federal Gov't. That is the whole state paid for 40,000 cars to cross this bridge everyday. Just as the state and federal Gov't are paying for the Pawtucket river bridge so that 165,000 can cross everyday.
Two, the toll on the Sakonnet is for maintenance of a four bridge system, The Sakonnet, the Mt. Hope, The Pell, and The Jamestown bridge. This four bridge system will use two revenue streams. The tolls on the Pell and the Sakonnet.
Three, from day one the Sakonnet will need $1.2 million in maintenance per year, per the DOT. This bridge isn't over a puddle as some suggest, It is over a body of salt water, It is also subjected to harsh winters. To suggest that we ignore it for 15 years is foolish that is how we ended up in this spot in the first place.
Four, There were Three waivers authorized by congress to place tolls on the federal interstate highway system. The last one available went to Virginia. The RIdot is continuing its effort to get a wavier however it will take congress to act on it.
These are facts as provided by the RIDOT. Now I know a few are going to call them a bunch of liars thieves and crooks. However I choose to believe that not everyone is a liar or a crook, until the proof is on the table.
Island Porkrunner
8:36 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
the philosophy of a toll is to prevent congestion of traffic and limit access. why are we doing this? forget about the money.
Mark D
1:00 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I don't think I understand what you are saying island pork runner.
Island Porkrunner
8:16 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
the toll is placed in one location to prevent access. I certainly understand why we prevent unlimited access over the Pell but for the Sakonnet you are breaking the route for much of the workers and servants to get on the island. seems completely counterintuitive.
Mark D
12:59 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I have never heard of toll used to prevent access. If you want to prevent access you prevent access by issuing passes not by placing a toll. That statement cold possibly be the dumbest one posted here yet.
Herb Weiss
10:20 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
Let's make it a ten bridge system and put the toll on the I bridge or on Connecticut, Rhode Island line on 95 after we get federal waiver. Why rush into a toll that is going to result in job loss and financial hardship to local residents, and unknown casino and sales tax revenue loss. We already pay for the Pell toll to the tune of $ 18,320,000.00. With Connecticut casino's ,we should put a toll on the line, would probably help keep gambling dollars in Rhode Island and share the toll tax burden with other Rhode Islander's. I want statewide equality in terms tolls and taxes... Massachusetts is ready to put up casino in New Bedford which will be disastrous for Newport Grand and Rhode Island. The local economic impact is not something I want to gamble with now. We will be voting on full casino's in Rhode Island later this year too.
Mark D
5:33 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I'm sorry Herb but re you dense or something, you don't seem to understand. The waiver doesn't exist, RI can not toll an interstate without Federal approval. No ifs and or butts. They want to badly very badly but until congress gives more waivers they can't. You can't toll the Sakonnet after it is built. They are not rushing to put toll on the bridge because thay want to but because they have to, otherwise they are in the same boat waiting for permission from the Feds. Someone told you life is always equitable they lied. I have always worked two jobs I have medical coverage but still was stuck with a bill for tens of thousands of dollars I can't get a penny of help from the state but be female get knocked and get the best medical care money can money buy from the state. Life is not fair or equitable.
Shades of Gray
7:54 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
They have to put the toll...but does it have to be so HIGH?! Madon!
Mark D
12:58 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Not saying the price won't be high, but it hasn't been determined what the toll will be yet.
Herb Weiss
8:13 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I feel we'll eventually be granted a waiver from the federal government to put a toll on the interstate. The shortfall in terms of dollars for the four bridge system would be resolved with ending the RIBTA and transfering to RIDOT and outsourcing any essential needs this would save millions. We'd setup revenue account system which any toll collected would pay for general obligation highway bonds and principal and avoid going into the general fund.
Mark D
8:33 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I am reminded of the old saying hope in one hand and ---- in the other see which one weighs more. Once again I think you are way way over estimating the savings of RITBA elimination. You also can't hold off on putting tolls on the sakonnet in hopes of getting a waiver. Once the bridge is complete its over. Plus if the state does get a waiver they have already stated that that money would be used for the interstate not for the whole state just like the money from the bridges are used for the bridges. Third the state is not going to be issuing anymore transportation bonds after this years $20 million bond. From here out we are going to be a pay as you go state. That way we get more out of every dollar. Even if we get the waiver the bridge would still get a toll.
Shades of Gray
7:13 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Island pork runner, are you serious? They are not attempting to limit access, they want to take our money. And what do you mean "breaking the route for workers and servants to get on the island"? What? Do you live in the Newport mansions or somthing? Statements like that will make folks in other parts of the state want to Toll us even more! They already think the Island is full of affluent snobs!