The following statement is attributable to Doug Witt, president and CEO of United Bridge Partners.
“United Bridge Partners has a proven track record of reinvesting in, repairing and operating bridges across the country, making critical infrastructure safe and viable while protecting taxpayers from the massive financial burden of maintaining critical infrastructure.
The Bay City Commission voted unanimously to select our firm to repair, maintain and operate the Independence and Liberty bridges, which were in a state of extensive disrepair and headed toward being shut down. No local, state or federal funds were available to address necessary safety upgrades and improvements. From Day One, our subsidiary Bay City Bridge Partners has kept our promises and fulfilled our contractual obligations by investing $150 million in needed improvements to the bridges.
Our agreement with Bay City establishes an affordable and transparent toll structure that helps keep the bridges operating safely, maintaining a travel route option and choice that might otherwise have no longer been available, long into the future without one penny of taxpayer dollars, maintaining a transportation option for residents and visitors that might not be available otherwise.
We have consistently worked to create an affordable tolling structure, allowing drivers who use the bridges to obtain a BC-PASS or E-ZPass transponder as a convenient and cost-effective way to pay tolls, which supports the maintenance and operation of the bridges. Our toll rate for non-residents of $2 per crossing was approved by the city council in 2019, and our proposed, and first ever, $0.50 increase is well below the allowable increase amount approved in our agreement with city council.
City of Bay City residents with a pass do not pay a toll to utilize the bridges. We actively work with drivers to help them sign up for a pass so they can receive a resident discount. Still, a number of drivers continue to use the bridges without paying a toll or signing up for a pass to use the bridge for free. Like any other service, repeated failures to address these issues or pay tolls can result in additional fees. Bay City Bridge Partners contacts drivers directly, multiple times, to advise them on how to conveniently address unpaid tolls.
Unpaid tolls do not impact a driver’s ability to register their vehicle or renew their registration as United Bridge Partners does not have authority over State of Michigan vehicle fees and requirements, nor do we share toll payment information with any government entity.
Our agreement with Bay City supports the continued long-term investment in these critical bridges, which serve residents, visitors and small businesses. This affordable tolling structure will keep Independence and Liberty bridges safe and operational for generations to come and we applaud city leaders for embracing a forward looking and innovative approach to addressing aging infrastructure when far too many communities across the nation have chosen to do nothing, kick the can down the road or ignore the issue of aging infrastructure entirely.”