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Task Force on the Crescent City Connection

Task Force authorized by SCR47 to analyze transition to toll-free bridge after tolls expire. Details on CCC Bridge, ferries, police, road projects, finances, and tolling issues. Working plan and arguments against toll renewal explained.

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Task Force on the Crescent City Connection

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  1. Task Forceon theCrescent City Connection Update Presented by Michael Teachworth Task Force Member

  2. What is the Task Force ? • Task Force authorized by SCR47 • Mission: “To analyze transition to a toll free bridge…when tolls expire Dec 31, 2012.” • 10 member board nominated to Gov Jindal • Meets every 2 wks @ CCCD on Friday 1pm • Final recommendations due Feb 1, 2012 • Meetings are open to the public

  3. Bridge Facts • 180,000 vehicles per day cross the CCC • Over $250M paid in tolls since 1998 • It costs ~21 cents per car to cross CCC (includes lighting and CCC PD) • 43% of tolls paid in 2010 were via toll tag • It costs ~$1.25 to collect a $1 cash toll • 82 full time employees for toll collection • Bridge maintenance costs ~1.8M/annually Source: DOTD

  4. Mississippi River BridgesAll Operated by DOTD

  5. Ferry Facts • 1.8M people use the ferries annually • 1M pedestrian / 800K vehicles • DOTD doesn’t collect any fare from pedestrians • DOTD collects $1 fare from vehicles but only one way (btw 22% of vehicles are fare-exempt) • True cost for a ferry ride: $5.21 per crossing • Fares collected now (~240K/yr) cover only 3% of costs (fyi - average US ferry fare covers 71% of costs) • 73 full time employees for ferries • Oldest ferry built in 1930 - newest built 1980 Source: DOTD

  6. DOTD Ferries Source: DOTD Cost in Millions

  7. CCC Police Facts • Primary mission is traffic regulation on bridge • Patrol 14 miles of roadway • Security on ferries and terminals • Respond to crashes and disabled vehicles • Manage HOV lanes • Accidents: 2/day on bridge 2/day on expwys • ~700 arrests/54 DWI in 2010 • 8000 tickets issued in 2010 • 29 full-time officers on Bridge Police Source: DOTD/LSP

  8. Road Projects Facts • Landscaping/beautification projects on DeGaulle, Terry Pkwy, & Shirley Drive - completed • Extending Peters Rd to LA23 – incomplete • Macarthur Interchange Peters Rd ramps – incomplete • 4th St Extension to Burmaster – incomplete • Barataria Widening – 72% complete • General DeGaulle improvements – incomplete • General DeGaulle drainage – 42% complete • 4-laneing Lapalco to Hwy90 - incomplete Net: Remaining projects will cost 223M to complete. CCCD contributed 1.6M to road projects in 2010 Source: DOTD

  9. CCCD Finances 2010 Source: DOTD In Millions

  10. Who really pays the tolls ? Source: DOTD

  11. Working Plan • Let tolls expire on Dec 31, 2012 as per law • Continue using Hwy Fund #2 for CCC (5.4M/yr) • Bridge maintenance stays same as now (1.8M) • Lighting stays same as now (600K) • Beautification stays almost same as now (1.0M) • Police funding stays almost same as now (2.0M) • CCC PD should report to State Police not DOTD • State of La pays for ferries starting 2013 + forward

  12. Working Plan (financials) 1= continues same funding as 20102= reduced from 1.2M to 1.M3= reduced from 2.5 to 2.0M

  13. Why the tolls should end: • Westbank pays twice for what the rest of Louisiana pays for once (ferries, police patrols, bridge maint.) • Tolls are double taxation of the Westbank by the rest of Louisiana (22 years of tolls = > $250M) • Bridge construction will be paid in full by 12/31/2012 • Bridge can be maintained and policed without tolls • Tolls mostly pay for ferries (9M) and for toll collection (4M) • State should pay for New Orleans ferries out of their 2.0B budget (like they do everywhere else) • Toll booths create unnecessary traffic jams

  14. Is this fair ??? The citizens of the Westbank have been forced to pay extra for ferry service, bridge maintenance, and police patrols for 22 years while the State of Louisiana has paid for these services on every other public bridge across the state.

  15. Who is against renewing the tolls? • Bureau of Governmental Research “a renewal of tolling would be mistake...bridge tolling is unfair…the costs are manageable from other sources” - BGR Report, April 2011 • The Times Picayune “it wouldn’t be fair to continue charging a toll to cross the Crescent City Connection when the expenses of other Mississippi River bridges are covered by state and federal funds.” - “Our Opinion” editorial April 30, 2011

  16. In my opinion… Extending the tolls again is like your bank telling you that your mortgage has just been extended for another 20 years…on the day you make your last payment.

  17. Popular myths & misconceptions: • CCC Bridge won’t be maintained/rusty/fall down if tolls go… • New Orleans area ferries will be eliminated if tolls go… • Massive traffic jams will occur on bridge if tolls go… • Grass wont get cut and trash won’t get picked up under Expressway if tolls go… • Westbank road projects will be cancelled without tolls… • A $1 toll isn’t that much money so who cares anyway…

  18. Ferry Plan • Build new efficient ferries using Federal TIGER funds (using local Westbank shipbuilder) • Charge a “fair” fare both ways to cars and pedestrians to offset ferry operating costs • Convert Algiers- > Canal St to pedestrian only • Modernize ferry terminals • Integrate fares/transfers/routes with RTA • Ferry routes should do a circuit/loop/tourist runs • DOTD should evaluation ferries statewide as to cost and efficiency

  19. Why… don’t the ferries charge a “fair” fare to those people who use the ferries ???By simply charging everyone just $1 each way, this will generate an additional $2M per year, almost 1/4 of ferry operating costs.

  20. Think about it… “Toll” is just another word for “bridge tax”.

  21. Concerns • Task Force contains a lot of pro-tolls supporters • Task Force seats/votes aren’t proportional to where the toll money comes from (i.e Jeff Parish should rightfully have half of the seats) • DOTD chairs Task Force • If Task Force recommend extending the tolls, it will be quickly be followed by legislation next session

  22. How can you help ? • Stand up with us against toll renewal • Make tolls an issue • Help make your community better • We can have a great bridge without tolls • Contact your legislators • Put up a StopTheTolls yard sign • Get involved – its up to us !

  23. The Simple Truth: We can have a safe, maintained, lighted, clean, and traffic-free bridge without tolls. We’ve earned it and we deserve it. You decide.

  24. Thank You Questions?

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