Politics & Government
Readers Sound Off on Bridge Toll — What Will It Cost You?
Several of our Facebook followers said the new Sakonnet Bridge tolls would affect their travel plans this summer — how about you?
In the week since the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority formally set the toll rates for the Sakonnet River Bridge, Bristol-Warren Patch readers took to our Facebook page to criticize the move and explain how the new tolls would affect them.
Guy Hunt wrote:
Find out what's happening in Bristol-Warrenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Well that's one more way to get people to move out of Rhode Island.
Cynthia Lachapelle Shannon explained the tolls would cost her:
Find out what's happening in Bristol-Warrenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Absolutely $0 because I don't plan on using it any longer. I'll take the scenic route through Bristol, until they toll the Mt. Hope Bridge too. Then I'll take my business elsewhere and go to Horseneck Beach in Westport.
Marcia Johnstone Whitney noted the potential impact on Bristol and Warren:
It is going to make the traffic in Bristol and Warren a thousand times worse than it already is....Ridiculous!
... to which Bill Nelson added:
Marcia hit the nail on the head. Ever try driving through Bristol at rush hour or on a summer Saturday? Think it's bad now? Just wait. You haven't seen anything yet.
And Bruce Fraunfelter wrote the tolls' impact may lead him to move his boat:
I'll be going to Bristol via Warren come July & if the traffic becomes a hassle I'll be moving my boat....to the detriment of Bristol businesses I currently patronize.
The reaction to the toll plan wasn't limited to Facebook, though; the Portsmouth Business Association posted a blog saying the tolls would cost the area millions of dollars in tourism and sales tax revenue, while the Newport County Chamber of Commerce board of directors recently voted unanimously to oppose the tolls.
According to RIBTA, drivers with Rhode Island E-Z Pass transponders will pay 75 cents per trip, to a maximum of $1.50; drivers with out-of-state transponders will pay $3.75 per trip, up to $7.50 per day, and travelers without an E-Z Pass transponder will be billed $5.25 per trip.
What do you think?
How much will the Sakonnet tolls affect you? Will you change your travel plans because of the tolls?
Have your say in the comments below.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
