MOBILE RIVER BRIDGE & BAYWAY PROJECT
ECONOMIC IMPACT FACT SHEET
FACT: The $2.1 billion Mobile River Bridge & Bayway Project has a benefit-cost-ratio less
than 1-to-1 and will consume far more economic resources than it produces. The No-Build alternative is
more favorable.[1]
FACT: In 2019 dollars, the Bridge alone will have a $6.8 million annual negative
impact on the Mobile maritime industry. The economic impact to other sectors
(tourism, healthcare, construction, retail trade, etc) is unknown.[2]
FACT: The economic value of storm surge risk to both the existing Bayway and the proposed new Bayway is undisclosed and unknown.[3]
FACT: The Traffic & Revenue Study improperly uses arbitrary inflation rates
in its forecasts and uses a lower inflation rate for cost growth and a higher inflation
rate for revenue growth, producing artificially distorted
net revenues.[4]
FACT: The Africatown/Plateau Community and Downtown Mobile will face higher traffic
congestion costs and increased accident
risk cost from drivers avoiding the MRB&B transportation
tax.[5]
FACT: Mobile and Baldwin area law enforcement and judicial administrative systems
face unknown burdens
and unknown costs in
enforcing transportation tax payments.[6]
FACT: The project includes bicycle, pedestrian and other recreational features
that serve neither the stated project purpose or need and have no identified methods
of paying for themselves.[7]
FACT: A new toll
is a de facto tax increase. Enforced tolls
and enforced taxes are treated identically by consumers and businesses in the
marketplace. Consumers seek to avoid taxes where practical and/or constrain
spending elsewhere. Businesses pass the full cost to consumers through price
increases and accept the risk of lost sales. The
cost of everything increases.
CONCLUSION: The MRB&B Project represents a bad
investment for Mobile & Baldwin Counties, the State of Alabama
and the Nation.
Read the full report on the project here.
Read the full report on the project here.
[1] Draft
Environmental Impact Statement, 2014, Table 9, indexed to 2019 dollars using
CPI 2012-2019.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Supplemental
Draft EIS, 2019, Appendix G.
[4] I‐10 Mobile
River Bridge and Bayway – Draft Traffic & Revenue Study Report, May 2018.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Alabama
Senate Bill 347.
[7] Final
Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, 2019.
1 comments :
Nice job.
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