Toll rates will increase slightly by 25 cents for passenger vehicles crossing the Confederation Bridge in 2013.
The announcement was made Friday by Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd. after Transport Canada approved 2013 round trip toll rates for traffic using the Confederation Bridge, effective Jan.1.
The toll for passenger cars, trucks and SUVs will increase to $44.50 in 2013, up from $44.25.
The only other increase approved was for cyclists which also went up 25 cents to $8.50 from $8.25.
The cost remains at $7.25 per additional axle for larger vehicles such as transport trucks and buses.
The toll for a motorcycle remains at $17.75, and pedestrians will pay $4.25 per person, which is the same as 2012.
Well I can answer a few of your questions. The Confederation Bridge was built for $1.3 billion using private financing. The agreement sees the federal government pay the old Marine Atlantic ferry subsidy ($55 million/year) for 35 years to Strait Crossing ($1.9 billion) and in 2032 the federal government will own the bridge. Until then, Strait Crossing is allowed to charge tolls to pay for the operation & maintenance and anything left over is profit to its shareholders. Strait Crossing shareholders are mostly large multi-national companies and/or pension plans, etc. And the original cost of the bridge was estimated at $1 billion so it went $300 million over budget - the federal purchase price was based on $1 billion + interest so Strait Crossing has to eat the cost of the extra financing out of their toll revenue. Strait Crossing has about 50 workers and the bridge carries around 1.5 million vehicles a year (open year round)............. Now on the Northumberland Ferries service - it is a privately owned company owned by Maritimers (several Islanders and Nova Scotians) and they employ almost 200 people - about 2/3 from PEI and 1/3 from NS. They buy fuel and parts and other supplies to run both terminals and the 2 ships. They run for 8 months a year and carry almost 400,000 vehicles, so roughly 1/3 the bridge traffic, but..... get this..... they only get a $5 million/year subsidy. So the bridge gets TEN TIMES the amount the ferry gets. Which goes to show you that boats are far, far cheaper to run on water which you don't have to pay for. A fixed crossing is Expensive (with a capital E). And just watch when 2032 rolls around. The federal government of the day will forcibly give the bridge for $1 to the PEI provincial government and then Islanders will be stuck with maintaining it (remember the bridge is only built to last 100 years). So if you think that our roads and health care and education are crappy in PEI now with what limited tax revenue we have, just imagine how much worse they will be when the PEI government has to pay for the fixed link too !