A Narrows Bridge without toll booths? It’s a long shot, but it could happen, if the state Legislature accepts a proposal by state Sen. Emily Randall and three other Democrats that would use the state’s operating funds to pay off the remaining debt on the bridge — and jettison tolls forever. The bill would transfer $772 million from the state’s general fund to pay off remaining debts on the bridge.
“This proposal is bold, but the demand is simple: our community here on the Peninsula should get the infrastructure investments we need and deserve,” Randall said in a news release from the Democratic caucus. Randall (D-Bremerton) said it is unfair to Peninsula residents that state highway dollars are lavished on the I-5 corridor, while toll payers have been left responsible for nearly all the cost of the new Narrows Bridge.
“It’s time for our side of the Sound to get equitable investment infrastructure,” she told The Gateway on Dec. 8. “We have an opportunity to right the wrong of the way the bridge was financed.” “The solution isn’t cheap, but it’s necessary,” she added.
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