The Crescent City Connection is the most heavily traveled bridge on the lower Mississippi River. Right now, there’s a toll in place – the money raised by the toll provides a sustainable funding source to operate and maintain the bridge in addition to three ferries (Canal – Algiers, Canal – Gretna, Chalmette – Lower Algiers). The ferries provide the only direct river crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists in the region.
A fierce debate is underway about the future of the bridge and ferries – at the heart of which lies the toll that provides more than three-quarters of the funding for the bridge and ferries’ operations and maintenance. Politics and tax philosophies have largely driven the volatile debate while considerations for protecting critical transportation infrastructure and moving motorists, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians across the Mississippi River have been sidelined.
The toll is set to expire at the end of the year. If the State Legislature does not take action to reauthorize the toll during the current legislation, the consequences would be severe. Transport for NOLA supports smart tolls to sustain the operations and maintenance of our critical Mississippi River crossings - here’s why.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
The fate of the tolls and ferries is in the hands of our State Senators and Representatives. We need one of them to champion a bill during the current legislative session and to build support to get the tolls reauthorized. There are two easy ways you can help:
- Sign our online petition. And ask your friends and family to sign too.
- Email AND call your State Representative and Senator. Look up who they are with this handy search tool. Get their email and phone number from their website. Transport for NOLA put together this form letter and these talking points that you can use. Be sure to include / say your address so they know you live in their district!
FOR MORE INFO:
Want to learn more? We recommend the following reading:
- Task Force on the Crescent City Connection Report
- NOLA Tolls Blog - written by the President of Friends of the Ferry
- Impacts of Loss of Toll Revenue prepared by Algiers Point Association President Skip Gallagher
- 4/9/12 Letter to the Editor in Times-Picayune re: reduction in policing
WHO SUPPORTS THE TOLL:
- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
- Gretna Mayor Ronnie Harris
- New Orleans City Councilwoman-at-large Jackie Clarkson
- New Orleans District C City Councilwoman City Councilwoman Kristin Palmer
- New Orleans Chamber of Commerce
- Jefferson Business Council
- Greater New Orleans, Inc.
- Transport for NOLA
- Harvey Canal Industrial Association
- Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
- Algiers Neighborhood Presidents Council
- Algiers Economic Development Foundation
- Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry
- St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce
- Algiers Point Association
- Crescent City Connection Oversight Authority
- Friends of the Ferry