Make TBO Your Home Page| Subscribe To The Paper| Advertise With Us| Contact Us| Login| Edit Profile| Register
Suncoast Pinellas News
Email
Print
Public Opposition Kills Plan To Boost Bayway, DeSoto Tolls
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: March 20, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - Public opposition has killed a plan to increase tolls on the Pinellas Bayway and at Fort De Soto Park.
The Florida Department of Transportation had proposed increasing tolls at the east and west plazas on the Pinellas Bayway from 50 cents to $1.25. Tolls for the south plaza leading to Fort DeSoto Park would have gone from 35 cents to $2.50. Annual passes would have increased from $50 to $125.
FDOT said the increases were needed to pay for replacing the two drawbridges, one on State Road 682 leading to St. Pete Beach and the other on State Road 679 to Tierra Verde. Both bridges are about 45 years old.
The proposed increases were intensely opposed by hundreds of people at a public workshop the state agency held March 12, prompting state lawmakers to scrap plans to sponsor bills to replace the bridges.
"At this point, the bills have been withdrawn," FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said. "If there is no bill, we can't raise the tolls. Thus we cannot replace the bridges."
Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at cmoncada@tampatrib.com or (727) 451-2333.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2009 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
