Flagler Memorial Bridge to Get Tolls

Never before in Palm Beach has a private company bought public infrastructure and stated that they’re going to charge the general public to use it. Well, that is exactly what “Astley Enterprises” is setting out to do. Yes folks, on the 30^th of last February, Astley’s board of directors announced that they would not give in to the People of Palm Beach’s requests and keep the Flagler Memorial Bridge (which I am sure you have heard all about since they’ve purchased and started a project to “replace” it recently) opened up for the general public to use and instead have decided to turn it into a toll bridge, an idea that has never crossed the mind of any respectable business in the Town of Palm Beach before. You have heard it here first, Flagler Memorial Bridge to get tolls & transponders.

“Going over the Flagler Bridge is something that I do everyday” said a local who only wanted to be named as Percy, “and by adding an insane fee to cross it, this company will inconvenience locals, making them drive out of their way for bridges that let them cross in and out of Palm Beach at no charge.” “If you own a business here, this toll might affect you most of all… customers from outside the island might take their hard earned money somewhere down the block because they don’t want to pay the toll” he added. “Out of protest to this asinine toll I’ll never cross Flagler until everyone can access it for free again and I know that a few of my colleagues are going to do the same.” 

To give you an idea of how much this bridge might cost you, here are the rates as of now:

Residents  …………….. $15 for transponder + $0.75 per crossing                                                                                                                                                                                               

Non-Residents ……… $1.00 per crossing                                            

Worker’s Pass ………. $50 for transponder (to be renewed annually) + $0.50 per crossing

Run those numbers for yourself to get an estimate of what frequent crossing of the bridge will cost you.

Flagler Memorial Bridge to Get Tolls

Around two years of planning, along with a few million dollars, was put in to making Flagler a toll bridge and all of it was done, seemingly, with only profits in mind. The opinion of locals, however, they chose to desert, since all complaints and concerns have been ignored as Astley prepares to sweep in the cash.

You might be wondering when these tolls are going to be enforced. The answer is, of course, April 1^st

(AKA April Fools Day)