POLL: Petition Against Bridge Tolls Gaining Signatures
Portsmouth and Tiverton residents and businesses protest a plan for bridge tolls on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.
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Its hard to travel anywhere in Tiverton or Portsmouth these days without seeing or hearing complaints against plans to place toll booths on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.
Several residents were seen first-hand signing a paper petition protesting the decision by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority to collect tolls on the new infrastructure. The decision came after the state turned over ownership of the bridge to the Turnpike and Bridge Authority.
"To those of you that say it can't be done, look at what Fall River did with the LNG deal," said Tiverton reader Jim L. in a recent blog post. "They stopped a major corporation and the US government. Buddy Cianci will be broad casting live at Clements' Marketplace next week, come, bring signs, stand up and be counted Stop the tolls."
It is unknown how many signatures have been added to the petition, but the totals are adding up quick. The petition can be found at many locations throughout Tiverton, including the Stone Bridge Restaurant, Famous Pizza, Step by Step and Coastal Roasters, said Jeanne Smith, a vocal opponent of the proposed toll.
Many Portsmouth businesses, including Town Hall, Clements' Marketplace, Reidy's Family Restaurant and Custom House Coffee, are also circulating the petitions.
A Facebook group, Voters against tolls on the Sakonnet Bridge, has also formed online. A total of 101 members have joined the group.
Smith, who organized the rally at the Cianci taping on Friday, will also have petitions there. She hopes that holding the rally during the former Providence mayor's WPRO radio show will increase visibility to the opposition against the Sakonnet Bridge tolls.
The rally is slated to be held at the Clements' Marketplace parking lot, 2575 East Main Road, Portsmouth from 3-6 p.m. on Friday on Aug. 10.
Do you think the petition will be effective? Tell us why or why not in the comment section below.
In This article
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Portsmouth Town Hall
2200 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI -
Clements' Marketplace
2575 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI -
Reidy's Family Restaurant
3351 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI -
Custom House Coffee
W Main Rd & King Charles Dr, Portsmouth, RI
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Stone Bridge Restaurant
1848 Main Rd, Tiverton, RI -
Famous Pizza
433 Main Rd, Tiverton, RI -
Step by Step
429 Main Rd, Tiverton, RI -
Coastal Roasters
1791 Main Rd, Tiverton, RI
Rade
3:53 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
I'm over it, I grew up and ordered my EZ-Pass transponder this week. .83 a crossing is perfectly acceptable to me.
tivertoneon
7:24 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
i think the state gets a enough . Might as well toll mt hope again . Make all the bridges on the island a fee.This will just bring less people on the island to spend money. Pay to go over a bridge to drive down a smooth road like west main rd.
Dan
8:16 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
.83 per trip x 2 trips per day = a x 30 days= b x 12 months = $600 a year coming out of your pocket for the toll as a resident.
Jim L
8:18 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
rade sorry but to me ,83 is a part of the issue, the piice increase that all off Newport county will see is the main issue, so it's not just a simple toll it's a price increase in the cost of living on everyone in Newport county, Everyone one, not just the tourists that it was aimed at , good fine, pay your >83 cents and when you go to cumby's or shaws also pay the increase in milk that only newport county will get NOT the rest of RI, be happy as the rest of the state sits back and laughs at us and the tourist dollars Newport county creats withers on the vine
Jim L
8:20 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sorry no tolls or increase the pell bridge tolls, just because piava weed sold out newport county doesn't mean we have to lay down and die
Jim L
1:28 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012
For any parent who's children play team sports in Tiverton at just about any age from little league up, if these tolls get implymented and team that invited to play it a tourney ment, be it basketball or baseball or soccer, the parents coming and attending those games will be hit with an $8.00 dollar toll, just for one game if they lose, when my kids were young it was nothing to drive to ponaganseet 4 times in a weekend so i get a transpoder or sneak around the tolls, but folks in ponaganseet have no need for a transponder and why would they pay that much to just play here in Tiverton
Never mind the hidden cost increase
NO TOLLS
Jennifer Richardson
8:33 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Can we get it as a Tax write off!!
Jennifer Richardson
8:36 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
My husband and I go over that bridge twice per day so that would be $1200 per year and he has to go over the Newport Bridge already twice per day so add that on that's $1800 per year and tolls and I have family in Portsmouth and Newport so every time I want to go see them it's even more and with gas prices, food prices and everything else going up except the cost of living in our pay checks you wonder why so many of us our besides ourselves over this!!!!
Herb Weiss
10:40 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
NO TOLLS PERIOD!!!