Tuesday, May 15, 2012
State officials told the crowd that fees on the Mount Hope or Sakonnet River bridges are unavoidable to maintain the spans.
Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority Chairman David Darlington hadn't yet made it through the second slide of his presentation when the questions started. East Bay and Aquidneck Island residents peppered Darlington and Department of Transportation Director Michael Lewis with pointed questions and comments, most opposing proposed tolls on the Mount Hope and Sakonnet River bridges, throughout a forum last night at the Burnside Building on Hope Street in Bristol. The response was not an unexpected development, Darlington said. Residents have come out in force at previous public hearings on the proposal that would bring tolls to the Mount Hope Bridge for the first time since 1998. The fees to cross the bridge — if the General Assembly …
41.669515
-71.275943
/articles/residents-voice-anger-over-proposed-tolls
/locations/7026043
Monday, May 14, 2012
A forum at the Burnside Building tonight at 7 addresses concerns over proposed fees for the Mount Hope and Sakonnet River bridges.
Since 1998, Rhode Islaners — especially those on the East Bay — have had the option to get onto Aquidneck Island without paying the tolls the Newport Bridge charges. The free ride could soon be coming to an end and crossing onto the island may soon cost drivers money regardless of the route they take. The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority hopes so. The authority — which already approved raising rates on the Newport Pell Bridge — has proposed adding fees to the Mount Hope and Sakonnet River bridges. The tolls would range from 52 cents to $3.25 each way. The Newport bridge is scheduled to increase from $4 to $5 for cash-paying drivers. Those using an E-Z pass pay less than $1. Residents have voiced strong opposition to the plan and …
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Rep. Dan Gordon says he will reject any legislation to collect tolls off the Mount Hope Bridge.
The following is from a press release issued by Rep. Dan Gordon (Dist. 71-Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton) on Wednesday. This morning, the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority in a vote of 2-1, agreed to raise the cost of crossing the Pell Newport Bridge from $4 to $5, effective as of July 1. Also, most notably, the resolution passed by the authority proposes to set a toll rate on the Mount Hope Bridge and refers to a proposal by Governor Lincoln Chafee to toll the new Sakonnet River Bridge. "I am adamantly opposed to the entire resolution," wrote Rep. Dan Gordon in the press release. "Raising tolls during the height of the tourist season on the Pell Bridge will do nothing but further starve the tourism economic engine of …
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority will meet Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 8:30 a.m. at the Jamestown Philomenian Library, 26 North Road.
The following is from a press release issued by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority: The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority board of directors will meet for its monthly board meeting on Wednesday Jan. 18, and is expected to vote on new toll rates for the Newport Pell Bridge, as well as a request of the Rhode Island General Assembly to allow RITBA to set toll rates for the Mount Hope Bridge. In October, RITBA spent considerable time gathering opinions from businesses and members of the public about the feasibility of re-instituting tolls on the Mount Hope Bridge and increasing toll rates on the Newport Pell Bridge. “RITBA must set appropriate rates for the Newport Pell Bridge so that we can prepare for the long process…
Govstench
8:25 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
We all remember all of those Transportation Bonds that voters kept approving on each election cycle, right? Well, guess what? The dummies at DOT were playing the taxpayers for chumps - approve a bond so we can pay the debt service on the others you approved. I stopped voting for those damn things over a decade ago and urged my friends to do likewise. Now you have a debt bill that sucking out … more ›