Bay City is a city of bridges.
Two of those bridges have gone from connecting the city to dividing it.
Some residents have soured on a deal between the city and a private company hired to repair the bridges, in exchange for charging tolls.
“I will drown in that river, before I give them a dime of my money,” local resident Austin Pike told several dozen protesters in downtown Bay City Tuesday.
Mayor Christopher Girard is among those unhappy with the tolls and the company. Though he concedes the city’s options are limited.
“We do have a signed agreement,” said Girard. “There are particular items in that agreement that call for if we have a dispute, and so the lawyers need to work through that.”
The Saginaw River divides Bay City. The river is a busy highway for small private boats and larger commercial ships.
Almost as busy as four bridges have crossed the river, connecting Bay City’s east and west sides.
One of the bridges is currently closed for reconstruction. A second bridge remains open without tolls.
The other two bridges, the Liberty and Independence bridges, have been in serious need of repair.
In 2022, the city reached a deal to lease the two bridges to a private company, Bay City Bridge Partners. It’s a subsidiary of United Bridge Partners, which funds, designs, builds, owns, and operates private toll bridges across the United States.
Under the deal, the company would charge tolls to pay for the repairs as part of their 75-year contract.
Tolls range from $2 to $11.50, depending on the vehicle and whether a resident has a transponder. Bay City residents with a transponder are exempt from the tolls until 2028.
But some Bay City residents say the tolls are too high.
“This is about basic fairness. About the right to exist in your own city without paying a ransom,” said Kayla Harper, with Bay City Bridge Resistance.
Bay City Bridge Partners did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The protesters are urging Bay County and other mid-Michigan residents to boycott the toll bridges. They are also hinting their campaign will escalate unless the company agrees to discount tolls and other changes to reduce the cost to local residents.
