On October 1, the annual Broad Causeway pass for Bay Harbor Islands residents dropped from $350 to $200. Two months later, on December 1, the toll for a car without a pass goes up 62.5 percent with SunPass and doubles for toll-by-plate. Both changes come from the Town of Bay Harbor Islands, which posted them in a single notice on September 29.
Together, they mean the cost of driving off the islands to the west no longer depends mainly on how often you cross. It depends on whether your paperwork qualifies you for the flat-rate plan and whether you apply in time for approval to arrive before December 1.
Two Prices Moving in Opposite Directions
The current rates on the Town's published toll table have been in effect since October 1, 2024. The new rates, announced in the Town's September 29 notice, take effect December 1, 2026.
| Vehicle class | SunPass now | SunPass from Dec. 1 | Toll-by-plate now | Toll-by-plate from Dec. 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 axles | $2.00 | $3.25 | $3.25 | $6.50 |
| 3 axles | $9.00 | $10.25 | $11.75 | $15.00 |
| 4 axles | $16.00 | $17.25 | $20.25 | $23.50 |
| 5 axles | $23.00 | $24.25 | $28.75 | $32.00 |
| Each axle beyond 5 | $7.00 | $7.00 | $8.50 | $8.50 |
For three-, four- and five-axle vehicles, SunPass rates rise by $1.25 and toll-by-plate rates by $3.25, and the charge for each axle beyond five stays the same. The base two-axle class covers nearly every household car, and that is where the percentage increase is largest. Under the new schedule, a car with no transponder pays exactly double the SunPass rate. Before, it paid $1.25 more.
The resident pass moved the other way. A September 10, 2026 Town Council agenda listed a discussion of cutting the Bay Pass Plan for Bay Harbor Islands residents from $350 to $200 a year. The Town's later notice confirms that residents with proof of residency have been eligible for the $200 one-year plan since October 1.
The Break-Even Point Fell Sharply
The pass is a prepaid flat-rate subscription. In the Town's words, plan holders "pay a flat-rate instead of paying for each toll crossing individually." The useful question is how many toll-paying crossings a year it takes for the pass to cost less than paying each time. That number has dropped a long way:
- Old pass, current SunPass rate: $350 divided by $2.00 comes to 175 crossings a year.
- New resident pass, current SunPass rate: $200 divided by $2.00 comes to 100 crossings.
- New resident pass, December 1 SunPass rate: $200 divided by $3.25 comes to about 62 crossings.
- New resident pass against December 1 toll-by-plate: $200 divided by $6.50 comes to about 31 crossings.
At the old price, the pass only paid off for someone who went through the toll almost every other day. After December 1, roughly 62 toll-paying crossings a year, a little more than one a week, cover the $200 resident pass at SunPass rates.
Non-residents also have a flat-rate option. The 2026–2027 pass application lists $350 for a 365-day pass and $225 for six months. Each covers unlimited use with one transponder in one vehicle. At the new $3.25 SunPass rate, a non-resident needs about 108 crossings to make the annual plan pay. A resident needs 62.
The Calendar Matters More Than the Price
The application describes a slow process. Approval "may be as much as 25-business days," depending on how many applications are ahead in the queue, and the form says expedited processing is not available. The Town's calendar also lists Thanksgiving holiday closures on November 26 and 27.
Here is how that lines up with an application filed the day this post is published:
- Thursday, November 5: application submitted.
- Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27: Town offices closed for Thanksgiving.
- Tuesday, December 1: new toll rates take effect.
- Around December 10: the 25th weekday after November 5, before counting any holiday closures.
Twenty-five business days is the maximum, not a guarantee. Even so, an application filed now can run past December 1. Approval also isn't the last step. Once an application is approved, the Town emails a link to pay, and the pass is active only after that payment.
Renewals work on the same timeline. The form asks plan holders to apply for renewal at least 25 business days before the pass expires to avoid a lapse in coverage. If your current pass expires in December or January, the renewal window is either open now or opens soon.
Paperwork Decides Who Counts as a Resident
The resident plan asks for three things. You answer "yes" to the residency question and upload a driver's license, a vehicle registration and a utility bill that all show the same address. The application adds a rule that covers every plan, resident or not: the driver's license and vehicle registration must be issued by Florida.
Under those terms, a household with an island address on its utility bill but a license or registration from another state can't get either pass plan. Those drivers pay per crossing at the December 1 rates. The same goes for rental cars, which the form lists as ineligible.
The form also lists reasons it will reject an application. Most have to do with the state of your SunPass account, not where you live:
- Account holder name or address on the application doesn't match the SunPass account
- License plate isn't registered to the same SunPass account as the transponder
- Vehicle isn't owned by the applicant or the applicant's legal spouse
- An invalid or incomplete SunPass account, transponder or plate number
- A negative balance on more than one occasion within the last 90 days
- A balance under $25 without auto-replenishment turned on
- Any outstanding toll charges, or toll charges in collections
- An expired license or registration, or one issued by another state
- Two pass plans requested for one license plate
The form adds one practical detail. The transponder number must include all 13 digits printed on the device, though the SunPass account shows only 12. It also warns that the Town can't go back and correct errors. An incomplete application is rejected, and you have to reapply. With a review that can take 25 business days, a rejection effectively starts the wait over.
Once the pass is active, it covers only what the registered transponder records. The terms state that the pass "does not allow for no-cost trips using your license plate." If the transponder isn't read as you go through the toll, the toll-by-plate charge is yours to pay, whatever the reason. After December 1, a missed read on a two-axle car costs $6.50 instead of $3.25. The resident plan is also limited to two-axle, non-commercial vehicles, and each plan covers one transponder in one vehicle.
If you leave the plan before it runs out, any refund equals what you paid minus the toll exemptions your transponder used during the subscription.
These terms come from the Town's own pass documents. This post is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check your household's eligibility and account status with the Town and SunPass directly.
What the Toll Revenue Funds
The causeway belongs to the Town, and the toll helps pay for the bridge that will eventually replace it. The September 10 agenda included a resolution approving final consultant rankings and authorizing negotiations with the top-ranked firm to set a design fee for the replacement Shepard Broad Causeway bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The Town advertised the design solicitation on April 20, 2026, with submissions due June 8.
The fullest public outline of the project is still the Town's September 26, 2023 public workshop. That presentation compared two designs. One was a 65-foot high-level fixed bridge, chosen to meet Coast Guard navigation clearance and end drawbridge openings. The other was a 40-foot mid-level movable bridge that would still open for larger vessels and during hurricane evacuations. It also noted that the taller fixed span has a steeper roadway profile and more potential visual impact, while the movable option sits lower.
The workshop explained where the money would come from. Toll revenue would cover at least 20 percent of the total cost. Federal, state and local grants were being pursued for the rest, but they are not guaranteed and are capped at 80 percent. Toll revenue also pays for inspections, operations and required maintenance on the Town's four bridges. The 2023 study's lifecycle estimates, in 2023 dollars through 2048, put the fixed bridge at $225 million and the movable bridge at $424 million.
The 2023 concept placed the new bridge on the south side of the existing one. That alignment avoids the Tot Lot and a submerged gas line, uses Town-owned land, avoids relocating any residents, and connects on the east at West Broadview Drive. Under that plan, the existing bridge stays open during construction, with traffic temporarily shifted to the north side of the causeway island. The 2023 workshop projected construction starting in 2028. Council authorized design-fee negotiations only in September 2026, so the current schedule will depend on the design contract that comes out of them.
The application is on the Town's pass portal, and the 25-business-day review starts when you submit.
If you're weighing a Bay Harbor Islands address, own a second home on the islands, or want to know how the eventual bridge replacement could affect West Broadview Drive and the streets near the causeway, Allen Davoudpour and the team can walk through the details with you. Schedule a Consultation.
