Tolls on the Bourne and Sagamore bridges? That's what one Cape Cod town official says he'd advocate for.
Mashpee Select Board Vice Chairman David Weeden pitched the idea during a board meeting Monday, estimating that a "modest rate" of $2 tolls could bring in about $70 million annually -- money he says that should be earmarked specifically for coastal and water quality issues.
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WATCH HERE"It could be a long-term funding mechanism," Weeden said, noting that 35 million vehicles cross the bridges every year. "Massachusetts reaps the benefits of Cape Cod tourism. It is a significant amount of money that comes into the state through the tourism that we receive here on the Cape. They come over here and leave their stuff behind, and then we're left to deal with it.”
Weeden doesn't think Cape Cod residents should be charged to cross the bridges, though, suggesting they find some kind of approach to exclude them.
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SIGN UP "With the technology nowadays, I'm sure that's capable of doing that through E-ZPass exclusion for residents," he said. "But I think we could generate a lot of money towards helping the local Cape Cod communities address the lack of infrastructure."
"We're all facing it," he continued. "We're all recognizing the environment needs help, and looking for the state to support us in our efforts to do so and help with some funding to do that."
Wednesday morning, State Rep. Steve Xiarhos posted "NO TOLLS" to Facebook, saying while he understands some of the sentiment behind the suggestion, he respectfully remains firmly opposed to any tolls on the Cape Cod bridges.
"A toll is a tax—and the working families who rely on those bridges for their daily commutes simply can’t afford the added burden. Yes, the bridges bring in precious tourist dollars that help drive our local economy, and that’s important. But they are also a lifeline to the mainland for those of us who call the Cape home. I’m not willing to charge people a fee just for the privilege of living here," Xiarhos wrote.
"As for the construction of new bridges—which I fully support—my position is the same: No tolls," he continued. "The cost of rebuilding aging federal infrastructure should not fall on the shoulders of Cape residents."
This isn't the first time there has been talk of potential tolls, including last year when Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutts wouldn't rule them out as a potential source to fund the bridge replacements.
MassDOT spokeswoman Jacquelyn Goddard said in a statement to the Boston Herald that tolls at the crossings over the Cape Cod Canal are not being considered.
The Bourne and Sagamore bridges, which both opened in 1935, serve as the only roadway connection on and off the Cape.
