06/15/2022
UPDATE: GARCON POINT TOLL DROPPING TO $2.75 OVERNIGHT. SUNPASS EVEN LOWER TO $2.30. SENATOR BROXSON WANTS TO WORK TO GET TOLL FURTHER REDUCED NOW THAT STATE OWNS THE BRIDGE> DETAILS BELOW...
BREAKING NEWS: Garcon Point Bridge toll will be decreased overnight tonight, per the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida District 1 Senator Doug Broxson confirms it will take place overnight. "It's a great day," Broxson said of the state successfully negotiating ownership of the bridge. "We did it," he said, noting that he would like to work toward getting the toll further reduced, if possible.
REACTION FROM FLORIDA HOUSE DISTRICT 3 REPRESENTATIVE JAYER WILLIAMSON: "Since day one in office, the Garcon Point Bridge has been my top local priority. This is why I passed legislation my first session to commission a feasibility study on the bridge’s acquisition. Today, under the Governor’s leadership, we can finally see a resolution come to pass that will give those using the bridge relief at the toll booth. This is long overdue, and with gas prices continuing to soar, this is a necessary step to mitigate extra transportation costs for our citizens and tourists. I am extremely grateful to Senator Broxson and the rest of the Panhandle delegation for all of their hard work. It’s a great day for Santa Rosa County!"
DETAILS FROM FDOT: Overnight tonight, beginning at 12:01 a.m., toll rates on the Garcon Point Bridge will be reduced from $4.50 to $2.30 for SunPass customers and from $5 to $2.75 for cash customers. For the first time, tolls collected on the Garcon Point Bridge will remain in Florida and will be reinvested for routine maintenance, critical updates, and improvements.
Prior to the transfer of ownership, all tolls collected on the bridge went to pay outstanding debt, while the department was obligated to fund an average of $1.5 million annually, and over $30 million since 1999 to keep the bridge open.
To alleviate burdensome toll escalations, Governor Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to reach an agreement with the Trustee and bondholders to retire the outstanding bond debt on the Garcon Point Bridge in Santa Rosa County. Since July of last year, the department has been in back-and-forth negotiations with the bondholders to reach an agreement to buy out the remaining debt and acquire the bridge. The settlement initiates the transfer of ownership of the bridge facility to the department, improving operational efficiency and giving the department the ability to lower tolls for the Garcon Point Bridge.
Floridians are dealing with skyrocketing inflation caused by the bad policies of the federal government, and lowering the tolls solidifies the Governor’s commitment to providing much-needed relief to the more than 6,000 motorists that use the bridge every day.
