TELL US: Will You Avoid a Sakonnet River Bridge With Tolls?

Residents in Portsmouth and Tiverton say they plan to drive around the Sakonnet River Bridge to avoid bridge tolls.

Bridge tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge are not expected to begin until this summer, but area residents are already changing their daily routes to avoid these extra fees.  Despite pending legislation, the town of Portsmouth's lawsuit and outcrys from many communities, the Department of Transportation plans to transfer ownership of the Sakonnet River Bridge this summer. The new owners, the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, plan to install bridge tolls on the span between Portsmouth and Tiverton.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, I asked Portsmouth and Tiverton-Little Compton Patch readers if they were already changing their daily routes to avoid bridge tolls.  Here's what a few, who plan to change their route, said:  Allen Thibault …

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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: Well that's one more way to get people to move out of Rhode Island. Cynthia Lachapelle Shannon explained the tolls would cost her: 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…

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Newport County Chamber Calls for No Tolls on Sakonnet Bridge

The Newport County Chamber of Commerce supports local lawmakers' efforts to find sustainable funding for bridge maintenance other than relying on tolls.

  The Board of Directors of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce recently voted unanimously to support Sen. Louis DiPalma’s bill to freeze tolls on the Newport Bridge and prohibit tolling on the Sakonnet River Bridge.  Co-sponsored by Sens. Teresa Paiva Weed, Walter S. Felag, Christopher S. Ottiano and David Bates, DiPalma’s bill is unique from all other legislation relating to bridge tolling. Senate Bill 0242 would prohibit tolling on the Sakonnet, Mt. Hope and Jamestown Verrazano Bridges and stop any future increases in toll rates on the Newport Pell Bridge.  This bill is the first to address the need for a sustainable funding mechanism for bridge maintenance and for state Department of Transportation (DOT) funding, making it the first…

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Bridge Toll Plan Awaits Fed OK

Federal approval is still needed before tolls can be placed on the Sakonnet Bridge.

Plans to install tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge still await federal approval, despite comments by state Department of Transportation Director Michael P. Lewis to a legislative committee last week that tolling would be implemented this summer. DOT Spokesman Bryan Lucier clarified remarks Lewis made during the hearing before the House Finance Subcommittee on Transportation. He told Patch Friday afternoon that plans to implement tolls are stalled, as the state awaits an answer from the Federal Highway Administration on its application to impose tolls on Route 24. "We are still waiting for word from the Federal Highway Administration regarding our application — the re-evaluation," Lucier said. "That's kind of where we stand. Obviously the…

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Today Is Last Day to File Comments on Bridge Tolls with RIDOT

Click to find out how you can give your feedback to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Newport Grand CEO Says Tolls Could Cost RI $16M in Gaming Revenue

The CEO of Newport Grand Slots weighs in on the bridge toll proposal — what do you think?

  Plans to place bridge tolls on the new Sakonnet River Bridge could end up in a huge loss in gambling revenue for the state, says the Newport Grand slot parlor's chief executive officer.  Newport Grand CEO Diane Hurley tells The Newport Daily News that bridge tolls would cost the state a maximum of $16 million in gambling revenue. Bridge tolls could be in place as early as this summer, according to The Providence Journal.  Local and state politicians have been fighting plans to place tolls on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) held public hearings in Tiverton and Portsmouth last month. Residents are asked to submit their opinion on tolls to the DOT by Jan. 18.    What do you think? Do you agree with …

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DOT Deadline On Toll Statements Approaching

The DOT will accept written testimonials on the impact of a toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge from resident of nearby towns, including Bristol and Warren, through Jan. 18.

  The following is based on a press release from the state Department of Transportation. Residents of comunities near the Sakonnet River Bridge — including Bristol and Warren — must submit personal statements to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) on how a toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge would impact their lives by Jan. 18. All comments will be included the DOT's environmental impact survey to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Ultimately, the FHWA will rule on whether a toll can be installed on the Sakonnet River Bridge, based upon the findings of the environmental and economic impact statements. According to DOT Director Michael P. Lewis, the reports will be filed with the FHWA by the end of the month. In December, the…

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Felag Retains Committee Seat in RI Senate

Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed reappointed the eight-term state Senator to the chairmanship of the Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee.

  State Sen. Walter S. Felag Jr. (D-Dist. 10), recently reelected to an eighth term representing Bristol, Warren, and Tiverton, kept the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs, following his reappointment by Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed. Paiva Weed announced the 12 appointments of committee chairs in a press released issued Wednesday afternoon. In her statement, Paiva Weed said: “I am extremely fortunate to lead a talented team of dedicated individuals committed to the future prosperity of our state. “I thank each of these leaders for their willingness to serve in these demanding capacities. They each bring unique expertise and perspectives, and all Rhode Islanders will be the beneficiaries …

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DOT Cuts Off Tuesday Toll Hearing, Tells Residents To Submit Written Comment

The state Department of Transportation Director Michael P. Lewis cut off Tuesday's toll hearing in Tiverton just after midnight, directing residents who did not get to speak to submit written comments.

Director Michael P. Lewis of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) ended Tuesday's toll hearing just after midnight on Tuesday, cutting off commentary from several speakers. The five-hour public hearing featured a steady line of residents, all but one who were in opposition to the placement of a toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge. The informational public hearing was conducted as part of the DOT's evaluation of the environmental impact a toll would have on the community, businesses and surrounding infrastructure and will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) by the end of January 2013. "The meeting was advertised until 10 p.m. and the meeting the night before ended around 10:30 or 10:45 p.m.," said Charles St. …

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Tiverton Speaks Out Against Tolls, Residents Boo Supporter Out Of Hearing

There was no lack of audience at the second in a pair of public hearings on the Sakonnet River Bridge toll by the state Department of Transportation in Tiverton on Tuesday night.

Hundreds of residents packed Tiverton High School auditorium, hoping to be heard at the second Sakonnet Bridge toll hearing on Tuesday night. Michael P. Lewis, director of the Department of Transportation (DOT) opened the meeting at 7:02 p.m. and told residents he would provide an abridged presentation explaining the agency's revenue problems. "It is not lost on me that this is not a popular proposal, but we are going to talk about the reasons why this is being considered," said Lewis. "The background on how transportation is funded in state, the history of the [state] Turnpike and Bridge Authority and what is this toll that is being proposed."  "Most importantly this is a public hearing opportunity for us at RIDOT to hear from you on the…

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