Drivers skipping Broad Causeway toll are causing big problem for Bay Harbor Islands
MIAMI - Drivers who skip paying the toll on the Broad Causeway, which uses a toll-by-plate system, are causing a big problem for Bay Harbor Islands.
"I think it shocked everybody," said Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Joshua Fuller, who calls it a growing problem. "As construction has increased, the number of vehicles obstructing has increased as well."
Fuller said drivers will obstruct their license plates, which are used to bill vehicles not equipped with SunPass.
Bay Harbor Islands Police track unreadable vehicles entering and leaving the causeway. From Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024, nearly 84,000 have evaded toll payments, costing the town roughly $850,000 to a million dollars in revenue.
Bay Harbor Islands Police provided bodycam video showing them stopping motorists over issues with their tags. In one case, an officer issued a warning to a driver for debris covering a license plate. In another case, a truck was being driven without a license plate. That driver was ticketed.
So what counts as an obstructed tag?"
"It needs to be in a clear, readable view of a police officer," Bay Harbor Islands Police Chief Lindsley Noe said."You'll see that the debris covers the actual tag. A placard that covers the actual tag, to where we can't read it, the camera can't read it at all."
To combat the problem, police increased enforcement and have issued 306 citations over the past 12 months. They can only issue a ticket if an officer witnesses the offense in person.
"It definitely requires a lot of manpower," said Noel.
The chief said they are also working with the Florida Highway Patrol to assist the town in issuing citations.
This year, the town raised the toll prices to $3.25 per car and $8.50 per additional axle to compensate for the lost revenue.
"What people don't realize is the toll money is for repairs and renovations for this causeway and the rest of the bridges in town. The town is not pocketing the money," Fuller siad. "If people continue to run the toll plaza, at some point we're not going to be able to maintain the bridge."
The mayor said critical repairs must be made to keep the 73-year-old bridge operational before its replacement is built in the next seven years.
