Bridge Addition for US HWY 331

[lazin&drinkin]

Mputnal3,

I too think the bridge unnecessary for the present and short to intermediate term, and I went to Tallahassee hoping to convince FDOT that the moneys they proposed for the state share of the bridge could better be used for widening 331, a much bigger imperative in my view. My view and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Waffle House, I suspect, but it went nowhere with FDOT. We either take the bridge and kick in 75 mil, or the whole thing goes elsewhere. And with it I suspect our place in a long line for further funding. FDOT has made it very clear. It's their way or no highway, so to speak.

Were there another way to skin this mule, I'd be right there examining it. I don't see any such, and I've spent a lot of time and effort looking for it. I too think the tax will fail. I can only hope my friend Andy is right in his belief that the BCC will pass the toll in the face of what appears to be a likely big defeat for the tax. The latest poll I've seen (an hour ago) shows nearly 2-1 opposition to either tax or toll, with the latter faring a little better but still failing, sample size near 750. I might add that the significant majority of respondents to that poll live south of the bay, and opposition north of the bay is appreciably higher than in the south.

 

[Kurt]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Andy A]

bobbob, great summary of the DeFuniak meeting. I will only urge all those in the South to attend the Apr. 17th meeting and to offer your input.

 

[Andy A]

I would urge all those who live in the North part of Walton County and vote, to consider the usefulness in the long run of a main four laned artery running North and South through the county. Those with even a modicum of foresight will quickly realize that this is not an issue of division within the county, but one that will bring progress and growth to all of those in business, regardless of where they are located. The .05% sales tax would be quickly overtaken by the increase that could develop throughout the county economically. Let good business and growth sense prevail and pass the half cent sales tax. It would be much less expensive to local residents than any proposed toll.

 

[Bob Wells]

Concur!!!!

 

[mputnal]

Do I understand this correctly? Walton county will vote on the .05% sales tax in the near future. Vote fails and then the commissioners agree to the toll with FDOT. The toll is even less popular than the sales tax and every commissioner would be held accountable. Every time I drive over that toll bridge I would regret supporting any of those commissioners even with a 50% discount. The toll will completely change the economics of this county as it will be much better to do business on one side (South side) from hence forth. People look at a toll like they do gas stations and will pay more for the products they purchase to avoid paying a toll. The gas analogy is that people usually drive out of their way to pay less at the pump. Paying more for gas to an oil company that already makes 37 million to 119 million dollars a day in profit will do that to you. Paying more and more taxes will do that to you. A toll is like a slap in your face tax.

I would support the .05% tax to avoid the toll but it will not pass. I believe we would get the money to widen Hwy 331 from the bridge to I-10 for these reasons:

1. Walton County would have a legal argument to widen the road for safety.
2. FDOT spent a lot of money purchasing the land to widen the road and therefore they already own the land.
3. Walton County has already made good on a sharing cost for the Freeport bypass.
4. There have been several fatal accidents on Hwy 331 just North of the bridge. FDOT becomes responsible for any further accidents if they do not widen this road.

Either we find a way to pass the tax or we will all live with the consequences.

 

[Bob Wells]

1. Walton County would have a legal argument to widen the road for safety. How do you feel they would have a legal arguement? Safety will improve IMO but that won't get it done plus the State is only liable for limited amount which might be cheaper to pay out.
2. FDOT spent a lot of money purchasing the land to widen the road and therefore they already own the land. That just gives them the opportunity to widen the road in the future with those cost already taken care of.
3. Walton County has already made good on a sharing cost for the Freeport bypass. And the State wants more.
4. There have been several fatal accidents on Hwy 331 just North of the bridge. FDOT becomes responsible for any further accidents if they do not widen this road. Sovereign Immunity, and people die on roads all over the State, I would be curious how many of the auto related deaths are from the road and not driver error.

That said, I support the widening and the bridge on 331. I do not support the toll and although I would prefer to shorten the length of time on the tax, I support it.

 

[lazin&drinkin]

I think the tax the better alternative, but if and when it fails, I think we need to accept the toll. I might point out that the tax is 0.5%, not 0.05%. I personally abhor tolls, too.

FDOT does not own any of the land for those sections of 331 not yet funded. Negotiations by both state and county folks have been ongoing, but to my knowledge, none has been bought. Your other three arguments, while appealing to those of us in Walton, have had and will not have any more import to FDOT than presently, which is to say, FDOT understands all that and says cough up 75 mil or the money goes to another part of the state.

It's my hope that one way or the other, we end up accepting this project. I think it unquestionably the least bad of a set of suboptimal choices. Should we fail to accept one of the FDOT alternatives, Walton and its citizens will be worse off than with either of the alternatives presented us.

Businesses and residents will accommodate whichever, be it tax or toll, and life will go on, safer for all and better for most. the alternative of not accepting simply means that all will be less safe and more people will suffer the consequences of not having the project. Each of the three scenarios has winners and losers. The question is, or should be, which has the most winners and the fewest losers, and how can we mitigate the losses of those who suffer adverse consequences. The fewest winners and the biggest losses come from not accepting either tax or toll.

Mputnal3, if my COA is buying pine straw from your business and your expenses, be they gas prices, tolls, or whatever increase your cost of doing business, it's probable that we'll end up swallowing a price increase from you. Rising prices are just a fact of life. Given the habits of our national rulers and our Federal Reserve, it is entirely likely that the increase in your cost of doing business from a toll would be barely noticed in the inflation to come.

 

[mputnal]

.05% was typo. I am not really worried about my expenses going up because of a toll bridge. All businesses find a way to survive by cutting expenses or increasing retail or going out of business if they don't. I am actually worried about three things regarding a toll bridge:

1. Driving habits will change. People avoid toll roads if at all possible. That is just the nature of humans.
2. Toll collections. We do not have enough information. If there are booths there will be a major bottleneck. There will be a traffic signal at Short Ave and there is not but a few hundred feet to the bridge.
3. I do not trust FDOT to provide us with sufficient infrastructure to accomodate all people use of this project such as pedestrian traffic including sidewalks and landcaping. There are many things to consider and we are being railroaded into a decision.

If FDOT already owns much of the land to widen Hwy 331 but chooses to send money elsewhere because we did not agree to their bridge ultimatum they may have soverign immunity from criminal prosecution but I assure you that society will provide moral prosecution. It is outrageous that FDOT will risk our safety to have a "visible" bridge project even though we can not afford the bridge at this time and are willing to give the money to a county that does not have the same logistics.

All the land is purchased from the bridge to Hwy 20. I understood from talking to land owners that much has been purchased between Hwy 20 and I-10 or at least ongoing.

 

[Dawn]

All I know is it is the height of stupidity to have a 4-lane highway from 98 to I-10 with a 2-lane bridge bottleneck.
On the other hand, rampant development and over population is also unwise and the scenario as it is unfolding (no bridge expansion) will bring growth to a screeching halt (at least from the bay to I-10). remember the days when St. Joe wanted something, like a bridge or moving a highway), all they had to do was snap their fingers?