Florida Department of Transportation ENTERPRISE TOLL OPERATIONS Department-Operated Facilities Garcon Point Bridge Page 97 Page 93 • $5.2 million total toll revenue • 1.4• $4.3 million million total total transactionstoll revenue • Nearly 1.3 million total transactions • • SunPass SunPass participation participation increased increased to to36.2 39.2 percent percent during the year.during the year. Mid-Bay Bridge/Walter Francis Spence Parkway Page 107 • $17.0 million total toll revenue • 7.7 million total transactions • SunPass participation increased to 64.7 percent during the year. FY 2014 Annual Report 95 Florida Department of Transportation ENTERPRISE TOLL OPERATIONS THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 96 FY 2014 Annual Report Florida Department of Transportation ENTERPRISE TOLL OPERATIONS Garcon Point Bridge 8.1 Background Bonds. The two-lane bridge opened to traffic on The Garcon Point Bridge is a 3.5-mile bridge that spans May 14, 1999. Pensacola/East Bay between Garcon Point (south of Milton) and Redfish Point (between Gulf Breeze The Authority entered into a lease-purchase agree- and Navarre) in southwest Santa Rosa County. The ment with the Department, whereby the Department bridge and roadway segments that comprise this maintains and operates the bridge and remits all tolls facility are designated as SR 281 and provide access collected to the Authority as lease payments. The to the Gulf Breeze peninsula from areas north and term of the lease runs concurrently with the bonds, east of Pensacola Bay. On the south side of the bay, and matures in 2028. At that time the Department the road continues as a one-mile, two-lane highway will own the bridge, assuming the bonds are fully that connects to US 98. On the north side of the bay, paid. Should the bonds, or any additional issuance SR 281 connects to I-10 approximately 7.5 miles north of bonds, be outstanding in 2028, the lease term will of the toll plaza. Overall, the distance between US 98 be extended through the payoff date of the out- and I-10 is 12 miles. standing bonds. Figure 8.1 shows a map of Garcon Point Bridge and As a result of the debt service reserve fund being the surrounding area. The toll plaza is located at the depleted, it was determined that the Santa Rosa Bay southern end of Garcon Point, and tolls are collected Bridge Authority would not have enough funds for in both directions. Beyond the Gulf Breeze peninsula, the July 1, 2011 debt service payment. Consequently, south of Santa Rosa Sound, the Sikes Bridge (SR 399) on April 27, 2011, The Bank of New York Mellon sent and Navarre Bridge provide access to the resort a notice of default to the Authority. A second notice communities on Santa Rosa Island. of default was sent to the Authority on June 29, 2012 from the Bank of New York Mellon stating that there The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority, established in would not be enough funds to pay the debt ser- 1984, oversaw the financing and construction of the vice owing as of July 1, 2012 and thus no payment Garcon Point Bridge. Construction of this two-lane would be made. On January 1, 2013 another notice facility was financed by the Series 1996 Revenue of default was sent to the Authority which included a notice of acceleration stating that the principal of all the bonds outstanding were immediately due and payable. On February 1, 2013 the trustee sent a notice of payment to the bondholders stating the amount net of reserves that was available for distri- bution to holders of bonds as of January 1, 2013 (the “Special Record Date”). The notice of payment does not waive the default status. As a result of the first debt service payment default, a majority of the board members resigned and a new board was formed to look into possible restructuring of the Authority’s debt. The bond documents clearly FY 2014 Annual Report Garcon Point Bridge 97 Florida Department of Transportation ENTERPRISE TOLL OPERATIONS 98 LEGEND Figure 8.1 Toll Plaza 191 87 Garcon Point Bridge Garcon Other Toll Bridge 89 Interstate Highway OLF Spencer MILTON Point Principal Arterial US Navy 87 10 Minor Arterial Bridge 90 89 Other Route 10 SANTA ROSA County Boundary Bagdad 184 191 Alabama 29 E s c a 281 O m k b Santa Rosa a i 95 l a o o 10 s ALT a 90 10 87 y 90 a Pensacola Avalon B Ft. Ensley Gulf 291 10A Beach r Breeze Walton 90 te Beach a Eglin Air Force Base w 10A 191 k Escambia c la Bay B ESCAMBIA 281 Pensacola Regional Airport TWO-WAY TOLLS PENSACOLA $3.75 2 - Axles, 50% Rebate for SunPass after 30 transactions 173 $3.75 Each Additional Axle 296 s Perdido East Bay rk Fo 110 e d iv oa Bay F R 0 1 2 298 292 Garcon Miles 399 Esa t 298 Point Garcon Point B ya Rive Naval Technical Holley r 98 Training Center Landing 87 Bridge Field SOURCE: Redfish Point Navarre 98 98 Florida Department Pensacola of Transportation 2014; 292 NAVTEQ 2013 Bay Pensacola Naval Santa Rosa Sound Air Station Navarre Beach Produced by: l Seasho re URS Corporation 399 ds N ationa GULF BREEZE 399 Bob Silkes Bridge Gul f I slan I slan d Fort San ta R os a Perdido Key Walton 399 Beach Gulf Islands Gulf Islands National Seashore GULF OF MEXICO National Seashore dotstphgis/gisprojects/oto_tear_2013/layouts/figure_7_1_garcon_point_bridge.mxd Garcon Point Bridge FY 2014 Annual Report Florida Department of Transportation ENTERPRISE TOLL OPERATIONS advised investors that neither the State of Florida nor The bond year for the Garcon Point Bridge as Santa Rosa County would have any responsibility for reported herein runs from July 1 to June 30, corre- payment of the bond debt. The Department con- sponding to the Department’s fiscal year and the tinues to operate and maintain the Garcon Point Authority’s bond year for debt service payments. Bridge. Further details can be found in Section 8.6 - Revenue Sufficiency. Table 8.1 shows historical transactions and rev- enue growth on the Garcon Point Bridge. In When the Garcon Point Bridge opened to traffic in FY 2005, total transactions increased 1.2 percent May 1999, the toll for passenger cars and other two- from FY 2004, while revenue increased by approxi- axle vehicles was set at $2.00. Based on the toll rate mately 28.3 percent. The modest increase in trans- increase schedule discussed later in Section 8.5, the actions can be attributed to the active hurricane toll rate was increased to $2.50 for two-axle vehicles season, as well as the elasticity associated with the in FY 2002. On July 1, 2004 (FY 2005) the two-axle July 2004 toll rate increase. The increase in toll rev- toll rate increased to $3.00, reflecting the second enue is due to the toll rate increase and increased scheduled toll rate increase. The third scheduled truck traffic brought about by post-hurricane con- toll rate increase went into effect on July 1, 2007 struction in the area. FY 2008 transactions and (FY 2008), which increased the two-axle rate to toll revenue decreased by 13.6 and 0.5 percent, $3.50. On January 5, 2011 (FY 2011) the two-axle respectively. The decrease in traffic and revenue rate increased to $3.75, reflecting the fourth sched- in FY 2007 and FY 2008 can primarily be attributed uled toll rate increase. This rate is still in effect today. to the economic slowdown and rising fuel prices. SunPass users of two-axle vehicles receive a 50 per- Additionally, FY 2008 transactions were nega- cent rebate after they reach a threshold of 30 toll tively impacted by the July 2007 toll rate increase. transactions per month on the Garcon Point Bridge Despite the impacts of the economic slowdown, toll facility. Tolls for vehicles with three or more axles FY 2008 revenue only decreased by 0.5 percent are calculated using the “N minus 1” method and due to the additional revenue generated from the increase at the rate of $3.75 per axle above that of toll rate increase. FY 2009 transactions and toll rev- the two-axle toll. enue decreased by 8.6 percent and 8.3 percent, Table 8.1 GarconT aPointble 7.1 Bridge Historical TransactionsGarcon Point and Bridge Revenue Growth Historical Transactions and Revenue Growth FYF 2004Y 2004 through through F FYY 201 20144 Transactions (000) Toll Revenue(1) ($000) Fiscal Toll Non Percent Percent Average Year Paying Revenue Total Change Amount Change Toll 2004 1,477 18 1,495 - $3,588 - $2.400 2005 1,489 24 1,513 1.2% 4,604 28.3% 3.043 2006 1,660 29 1,689 11.6 4,997 8.5 2.959 2007 1,666 4 1,670 (1.1) 4,790 (4.1) 2.868 2008 1,439 4 1,443 (13.6) 4,767 (0.5) 3.304 2009 1,312 7 1,319 (8.6) 4,369 (8.3) 3.312 2010 1,264 4 1,268 (3.9) 4,203 (3.8) 3.315 2011 1,243 8 1,251 (1.3) 4,276 1.7 3.418 2012 1,268 22 1,290 3.1 4,592 7.4 3.559 2013 1,284 26 1,310 1.6 4,736 3.1 3.615 2014 1,421 19 1,440 9.9 5,225 10.3 3.628 Source: FDOT Office of the Comptroller and Turnpike Enterprise Finance Office.