County waives tolls on Sanibel Causeway for campaign

Aug 10, 2023

SANCAP CHAMBERThe Lee County Commission has waived the Sanibel Causeway tolls on Sundays through Sept. 10.

Visitors to the islands can skip the Sanibel Causeway tolls on Sundays from now through Sept. 10.

On Aug. 1, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted to waive the tolls for six consecutive Sundays beginning on Aug. 6 in support of the “Savor the Shore” campaign that was recently initiated by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau. The campaign is intended to encourage residents to enjoy access to local restaurants and attractions during the off-season.

Officials noted that the tolls remain active and have not been waived for the county’s other bridges.

On July 26, the county’s VCB announced that it was sponsoring the awareness and advocacy campaign. Savor the Shore will be a multi-week effort, which will include print, radio and television promotions.

“While Hurricane Ian affected tourism, many establishments have worked diligently to reopen and serve the public during recovery from the storm, which made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28,” the VCB reported in a prepared statement. “Savor the Shore encourages residents to visit impacted coastal areas, eat at a local restaurant, shop, go to the beach and participate in activities.”

The VCB added that it is committed to supporting the business community’s recovery by creating awareness and encouraging people to spend locally and make a difference in the local economy.

Following the county board’s approval and in cooperation with the Sanibel City Council, the SanCap Chamber announced branding the program “Savor SanCap,” in conjunction with the VCB’s effort.

“We made this request to the city, county manager and VCB weeks ago in anticipation of the slower fall months,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai reported in a prepared statement. “We are so appreciative for the commissioners’ support passing this abatement with a vote of 5-0, along with support from county staff and the VCB.”

At the council’s meeting on July 18, City Manager Dana Souza shared that the chamber was going to ask the county board to forgive the tolls for a period of time on behalf of the islands’ restaurants.

“We really hope to motivate more people to come out to the islands for Sunday shopping, visiting attractions, lunch and dinner,” Lai said. “Anything we can do to help our businesses, we’re giving it a shot.”

The chamber added that it is aiming to bring more people across the causeway during the remaining Sundays of summer vacation.

For more information about Savor the Shore, visit visitfortmyers.com.

For more information about the chamber, visit https://sanibel-captiva.org/.