Tolls
The tolls collected on the Crescent City Connection are defined in Louisiana state law R.S. 47:820.5(B). This law states that from October 1, 1994 through December 31, 2012, tolls will be collected at a rate of $0.20 per axle for toll tag users, and $0.50 per axle for cash users. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, annual toll collections averaged $20 million.
In March 2006, House Bill 415 was proposed by Representative Roy Quezaire, D-Donaldsonville on behalf of the Louisiana DOTD. This bill would increase toll tags to $0.35 per the axle, while maintaining the current cash toll beginning on July 1, 2006. A similar bill in the state Senate, Senate Bill 97 was proposed by Senator Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero. This bill would raise toll toll tags to $0.40 per axle, leave cash tolls unchanged and eliminate tolls between midnight and 7:00 AM. Senator Shepard later claimed that his bill's toll increase was a mistake, and that he would present an updated bill the second week of April 2006. This updated bill will propose increasing cash tolls to $1.25, reducing tag tolls to $0.35, and eliminating tolls from midnight to 7:00 AM. On June 19, SR97 was killed for the year, when the legislative session ended without any action from the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
These proposals have been made in order to address the bridge's post-Katrina revenue stream and to help alleviate congestion caused by increases in truck traffic and decreases in the number of toll tag users.
There have been investigations conducted by the Louisiana Office of Legislative Auditor regarding bridge employees pocketing toll revenue for their own use and supervisors falsifying reports to hide the theft.
There are citizen action groups who are actively opposing the tolls and their potential renewal in 2012.
The Times Picayune newspaper wrote an editorial recommending that the tolls not be renewed at the end of 2012. The Bureau of Governmental Research, an independent watchdog group in New Orleans, released a detailed financial study on the CCC tolls which showed that the majority of the toll money collected in tolls does not benefit those who pay the tolls. . The full BGR report is available as well. .
Read more about this topic: Crescent City Connection
Famous quotes containing the word tolls:
“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.... Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
—John Donne (c. 1572–1631)
“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.... Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
—John Donne (c. 1572–1631)