SHORE THING: The Troll Under the Bridge

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

February 18, 2013

The Bridge-Tunnel Commission’s surprising decision to lower tolls for some commuters just might be like the first bricks chipped away from the Berlin Wall.

By itself it may not be that meaningful, but if it starts a trend, who knows where it might end?

Could the action escalate to the point that we no longer fear the “Toll Troll” under the bridge, lurking to gobble up travelers’ wallets?

I wonder why, after all these years, the Bridge-Tunnel Commission made a concession to Eastern Shore residents?

Is there finally a recognition that the crushing toll is the major reason that Northampton is the poorest county in the state of Virginia?

The $12 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) toll is the highest in the United States by far.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll into New York City is $13, but the other direction is free, so the average toll is $6.50. Motorcyclists pay $5.50, or an average of $2.75 both ways.

(And why does our Bridge-Tunnel charge the same rate for a motorcycle as for a 2-axle truck?)

The Overseas Highway to Key West spans 127 miles, with the longest bridge in the chain stretching seven miles. The last toll was collected in 1954. Now it’s free.

FREE!

The CBBT carries like a badge of honor the distinction of being built and maintained totally by tolls.

As if that’s something to be proud of. [Read more…]

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