Navigating Bay City's toll bridges: Q&A with Kevin Bischel

Kevin Bischel, who was named General Manager of Bay City Bridge Partners (BCBP) in September 2024, has been involved with Independence and Liberty bridges since 2019. Bischel was part of the original team that negotiated the lease of two draw bridges from the City of Bay City.

Independence Bridge opened as a toll bridge on Jan. 1. City residents with transponders use the bridge free for five years. Liberty Bridge opened as a toll bridge in 2023. Bay City residents with transponders use the bridge free through 2028. The tolling rates for all others vary, depending on the type of vehicle and whether or not the vehicle has a transponder. The transponders are free and available online or in-person at 300 Center Ave, Suite 101.

Route Bay City spoke with Bischel to learn what’s happening with the toll bridges in the community.

QUESTION: Tell us a little about your new role.

ANSWER: I have been Project Director for the design and construction of both Liberty and Independence bridges since 2019, so I know these bridges extremely well. As a member of the local BCBP team, I interact closely with city leadership, contractors and crew and have established relationships with commissioners – both past and present. With construction winding down, it was a natural progression for me to transition into the General Manager (GM) role. As GM, I lead the local team of account managers, customer service representatives, customer service manager, and facilities manager as we work together to serve Bay City with these like-new bridges.

Graphic courtesy of Bay City Bridge PartnersQ: You’ve been involved with the Bay City bridges project from the beginning. Does that history help as you step into the new role as General Manager?

A: The historical project knowledge helps, but it really comes down to the relationships I’ve built in the community. I hope I am an easy person to reach out to. I work at that. Our entire team attempts to meet people where they live, work, and shop so that we are easily available to answer questions and address concerns.

Phil EichIn 2023, Liberty Bridge became the first of two Bay City bridges to charge tolls.Q: For five or so years now, the bridges and the tolls have been a frequent topic of conversation in Bay City. Is that typical in a community introducing toll bridges? What are the unique challenges you’re seeing in this community?

A: Tolls are never popular in any community, but neither are property tax increases or closing bridges. An extremely large property tax increase on the residents of Bay City would have been necessary to keep the bridge open without tolls. 
Three major challenges stand out to me:

1. We haven’t done enough to explain what would have happened if Liberty Bridge and Independence Bridge had not have been leased to Bay City Bridge Partners for rehabilitation, operations, and maintenance. Both would likely have been closed permanently due to their state of disrepair and the financial drain on the city. The bridges previously cost the taxpayers approximately $1 million per year to operate and maintain — these funds are now available for other city priorities. 
2. The city hasn’t gotten the credit it deserves for exhausting every option to find funding for the bridges with the county, state, and federal government. Some say they would have preferred a tax. We’ve estimated that a citywide tax – while not leviable – for the bonds required would have cost each property owner in excess of $500 annually for 30 years. Our $15/month pass costs just $180 annually. And you only pay if you use the bridge. By leasing the bridges to us, the city has innovatively positioned itself to be free of the financial burden of bridge repairs and maintenance so it can devote those funds to other critical infrastructure projects within the city.
3. We continue to work to explain how electronic tolling works. We acknowledge that the roll out of tolling was not as smooth as we had planned, but we have been working to listen and learn. We have made major adjustments to our system, clarified our messaging, and added customer service staff. We also want to encourage people to contact us if they have questions or if we have made a mistake on an invoice so that we can resolve any concerns. 

Phil EichBay City Bridge Partners refurbished Independence Bridge before opening it as a toll bridge earlier this year.To help us keep our fingers on the pulse of the community, we have a team of account representatives that regularly interact with folks wherever they are – coffee shops, hair salons, summer events, and more. We’ve also gathered a group of local citizens on a Community Advisory Group to meet with us quarterly. Misinformation is rampant, so we work hard to communicate, communicate, communicate.    
All that said, BCBP is working very hard to supply Bay City with creative options, valuable discounts, in-person customer service, and two bridges that will draw other investments into the community.

Q: What are the opportunities you see in Bay City and the region?

A: If you take a look in and around Liberty and Independence bridges, you’ll see more than $500 million in new economic development over the past couple of years. I see more and more of that. Reliable infrastructure breeds development. I truly believe Bay City is well positioned for future growth.

Q: What successes have you experienced during this project?

A: We have a stellar team – both the construction crew and the staff in our local office. These are local people who want the best for their community. They have worked hard and made major contributions resulting in like-new Liberty and Independence bridges in just two years … and continuously improving customer service and educational outreach. All the while, our local crew and staff have been actively giving back to the community.

Travelers crossing Bay City's Liberty Bridge began paying tolls in 2023. Tolls began on Independence Bridge in 2025.Q: What is one thing you wish people understood about Bay City Bridge Partners and the toll bridges?

A: Our entire country is experiencing infrastructure problems. Our roads and bridges have deteriorated while public funding continues to diminish or be impacted inflation. Toll bridges and roads are a mechanism to fund road repairs and ongoing maintenance. They are common throughout parts of the country. Michigan is likely to see more and more because there simply isn’t enough state or federal funding – especially to assist with municipally-owned bridges. Our mission is to solve transportation infrastructure solutions for communities.  Using private funding, we deliver and operate our bridges to contribute to, rejuvenate, and improve communities nationwide.