Send an email to your congressional leaders and ask them to stop the transfer of the bridge . The bridge transfer requires approval of the Federal High way commission. Send an email today and let them know you want action.

First at least 20% if not more of the out of state cars are folks who work or attend schools in newport county. so they want to tax all the daily commuters from RI and Ma that use that bridge, congrats to the fools who just made all the folks with work or business in newport county

To day is VJ in Rhode island, the only state to still celebrate it, why, because so many brave men and women passed thru this island on the way to give their lives to ensure freedom for the world, PT crews at melville, the fleet at the destorer piers, the flight traing schools at Qounset, My father survived the sinking of 2 carriers under him and returned to aquidneck island to raise his family, and like me there are many family's still here for the same reason, The navy is still here in big economic numbers and RI wants to bleed more money from the navy and defence deptartment workers on Aquidneck island by placing a daily toll on them, This should NEVER be excepted never it's just beyond stupid, make a copy of the petition, bring it to work, tell your rep if this goes in your going out, NO mitigate period NO TOLLS

And Natures They want to place the tolls on rt 24 up by the mass line so welcome to Tiverton, but some folks that would come to your store will be out $8.00 buck be for you see them at your door

Well here in Bristol we'll see an increase in traffic, from people who have found a way around the tolls & are able to take advantage of it. There are only two (2) roads in & out of here, Rt 114 (Hope St) & Rt 136 (Metacom Ave). Both get clogged now starting around 2:30 pm or so & it's much worse during the school year. I hope the "brain trust" here in Bristol, Warren & Barrington is looking at & making plans to deal with the heavier traffic by adjusting the existing street lights, etc to keep the cars moving & not sitting too long in any direction at any light especially those left turn lights. Think about the gridlock when you add in Any kind of work along/on these two roadways. Plus we aren't that much out of the way that people from Fall River & Somerset won't come this way & jump off of 195 East/West at exit 1, 2 or 3 if they really need to get to Aquidneck Island.

When you have 40,000 drivers a day by the huevos, the RI government cannot resist taxing them.... Remember, you elected them into office...

I will now drive through Bristol whenever I have to return to the island and I hope everyone that can will to.

Happy VJ Day RI. My father was a young marine who met his bride on the Island! He then deployed to the Pacific where he fought the Janpanese on Iwo Jima! God bless Harry Truman's decision to drop the bombs which avoided the killing of 1/4 million of our American Boys! So enjoy your freedoms and your holiday with the spilt blood of our soldiers!

Those out-of-state license plates are also my parents coming to visit their grandchildren from just a few towns away. $8 every time. Hosting a family gathering? Yep, that'll be 4 or 5 vehicles @ $8 each. This is so unfair!

While I would prefer not to see a toll, I would continue to drive across the bridges in order to support businesses with good customer service. I would not for the Natures business as I was in that store one time and never went back due to the poor customer service and the lack of acknowledgement to my existence while in the store. If you want someone to buy something or to come back to your store, a friendly "hello, how are you today" would suffice.

While I can imagine that the same can be said for people saying they are not going to drive across the Sakonnet bridge, they will continue to do so. If we don't pay a toll than RI will find another way to have us pay for it.

I feel that this is the governments way of keeping us on the island to support the local businesses. I'm all for supporting local businesses but since the government keeps upping the taxes in RI, I can't help but shop in Ma. I know for me, I will no longer eat out or support the island since I have to save money to cross the bridge. I think they are hurting the island more than helping but its the government and they just don't care.. Of course, I will have to cross the bridge and pay the tolls but I will making a point to do it all my shopping etc. in one day rather than a couple times a week. There is nothing I can do about the government squeezing us dry but I can limit the amount they squeeze out of me. Either way doesn't look good for the island :(

This idea of charging people to cross a bridge that takes about 30 seconds to cross is ridiculous. It also results in a pay cut for me since I will now have to pay to go to work in addition to the gas it takes and the fact that it has been a year since we have had a contract/raise. It's a triple whammy, and I hope it doesn't pass......
Cindy G.

I live not too far from the Island and go there very often to visit friends and family as well as the beaches and other "happenings" on the Island - I now this will drastically cut my visits and spending if this goes through - so disappointing :(

People keep throwing out the figure $8.00 all the time but it will be more then that
it is more then $8.00 there is a fee added if you don't have a transponder. On the Newport Bridge if you don't have a transponder it's $5.00 per axel or $10.00 each way for a car if you use the open road lanes. The Sakonet River bridge will only have open road lanes no cash lanes so will it cost $20.00 to go to tiverton and back?
.

They had no intensions of putting in toll boths because of the federal impact study would not allow this to happen. ROBERT E. you sre right so they sre sneaking in the 5 & 10 dollsrs tolls with the open lane tolling. For all of you who travel the " Sakonnett River Over Pass" you know how traffic would back up with 40,000 cars a day . So we can add up just a 25% increase to the tolls before they even start..TIME TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

I can't understand how the powers at large can put even a small toll on the new bridge and not expect bussiness to suffer greatly on the island.People are simply going to shop and work elsewhere.Maybe 35 cents each way would be excepted but even that is too much for some to afford

Well I have not heard anyone come forward saying its a good idea........

Get a transponder people and stop complaining. It's cheaper to go over the bridge and back than it is to buy a coffee. It's amazing the stuff people will harp on... we're getting screwed by the govt with our taxes every day but a bridge toll is the last straw?? You pay a toll every time you walk out of a store; it's called sales tax. You pay a toll to have a job; it's called income tax. You pay a toll for nearly everything you do everyday. You're arguing about the wrong things!!

But Tom, We have the right to complain. Just like you have the right to complain about us complaining !!!! Welcome to America

But Tom, We have the right to complain. Just like you have the right to complain about us complaining !!!! Welcome to America

Robert E I had no idea about the release for open lane tolls.

If the RIBTA and the State go ahead with the toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge, We the people of Aquidneck Island and Newport County should file suit against the State Of Rhode Island and seek an immediate court injunction to stop the toll for Unfair taxes and discrimination. I feel this toll is uncontitutional and illegal based on southern Rhode Island residents paying a higher tax rate than central and northern Rhode Island communities. Tolls are an additional tax to local residents and businesses.

Where's the petition to get rid of the toll on the Newport bridge?

In response to the comment suggesting complainers to just get a transponder, my understanding was you had to be a RI resident to buy one. So that's not an option for former islanders who now live in Westport or Fall River and commute to work on the island. Probably half the workforce at Hodges Badge in Portsmouth are from Somerset and Fall River. I can't see them paying the roundtrip toll just to get to work.

you nare 100% correct Ts I have the no tolls petition in Hodges badge Find it sign it get everyone to sign it, to me if you live in ma and work in ri then you pay ri income tax, gives you a right to sign this, my phone number is on that paper,call me when it's full and i will pick it up and give you more if needed NO TOLLS

The turnpike folks atand to make about 24 mill from this i understand mostly from working folks, but hey you think they care sign a petition write a letter, Fall river Mass, call your mayor your rep help stop this rip off , i don't live in an amusement park whould you pay $8.00 dollars just to see me, $8.00 to go to evenly's an not have one clam cake?

tom only a drop in the bucket? i spend over 1/2 my day giving and replaceing petitions all over the island, the take from new tolls on 24 should be about 24 million, not includeing the Newport bridge take you think the politcians will let 12 million sit? how mush you want bet that extra money gots to pensions and cola's do 1 of 2 things, Raise the tolls on Newport( which was already supposed to have happen so they are bleeding money even now)or raise everyones fee's for registrasion buy $2.00 bucks and kill the bridge and turnpike silly deal, all they do is cut the grass and award bids for painting DOT can't do that job?

Went to see Jersey Boys at the PPAC last night, great show! paid my $4.00 bucks to leave Ri and $4.00 bucks to get back in. ONLY NEWPORT county gets hit with this surcharge on a daily basis, even Jamestown folks can get to Providence without reaching into their pockets, boy are we getting bagged NO TOLLS! but don't put this on me and my kids find another way this is just a huge money grab for upstate to fix money problems PERIOD!! NO TOLLS, sign the Petition, soon will will post a letter on here you can print out and sign to send to Mr Chaffee and others,

The Portsmouth Business Association supports the position of no tolls. An adjunct group, The Sakonnet River Bridge Toll Discussion Group was recently formed to organize and coordinate efforts to stop tolls on the bridge. This group asks all other groups involved in stopping the tolls to work together to unify and consolidate the efforts to stop the tolls. Preserve Portsmouth, the PBA, the PCC, the Portsmouth Rotary, and other groups from Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton along with the efforts of Jeanne Smith and more. This group is now meeting regularly at the Custom Coffee House. More details to follow.