Record Number Of Vehicles Head To Pensacola Beach

June 23, 2020

A record number of vehicles traveled to Pensacola Beach over the weekend. Saturday, June 20 was the single busiest day on record since the car counter was installed at the Bob Sikes Toll Booth in 2016.

The toll plaza recorded the first back-to-back 21,000 plus vehicle days on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13.

  • 21,469 vehicles on Friday, June 12, 2020
  • 21,860 vehicles on Saturday, June 13, 2020
  • 20,229 vehicles on Sunday, June 14, 2020
  • 20,722 vehicles on Friday, June 19, 2020
  • 21,970 vehicles on Saturday, June 20, 2020
  • 19,936 vehicles on Sunday, June 21, 2020

“This year we have seen an increase in the number of cars going through the toll plaza in a given hour, and noticed more people are coming out earlier in the day,” said District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender. “We are continuing to make improvements and evaluate traffic, including focusing on getting cars off the island.”

2020 has seen record-breaking numbers of vehicles on Pensacola Beach, with toll records already indicating nine days with more than 20,000 vehicles passing through the toll booth — 2019 saw 11 total days throughout the entire year. Saturday, June 20 was the second time this year more than 2,000 cars came through the toll plaza in an hour.

In April 2020, the Bob Sikes Toll Booth went to all electronic tolling, which means drivers do not have to stop and are encouraged to keep driving through the toll booth. A $1 toll will be collected from all vehicles travelling to Pensacola Beach / Santa Rosa Island via the Bob Sikes Toll Bridge. The $1 toll is collected electronically using SunPass®, E-Pass, North Carolina Quick Pass, Georgia Peach Pass, PayTollo app or Toll-By-Plate.

For Toll-By-Plate users, the toll is still $1 each time you pass through the toll plaza, plus a $2.50 administrative fee that is charged each billing cycle (once per month.) No matter the number of trips you take to the beach, you will only be charged the administration fee once per billing cycle.

Comments

8 Responses to “Record Number Of Vehicles Head To Pensacola Beach”

  1. Bewildered on June 24th, 2020 12:31 pm

    ? I fail to understand the whole concept. New bridge, new toll system yet same traffic congestion in Gulf Breeze and most of all , where are all these cars going to park once they get to Pensacola Beach?

  2. David Huie Green on June 24th, 2020 10:47 am

    REGARDING:
    “(My point was it is STILL a two lane rd) ”

    Four lane much of it. I’m thinking three lane between 9 Mile and I-10. Two lane only through the subdivision north of West Roberts, going to and from Kingsfield — not that others should.

    Am I missing a stretch somewhere?

    David for better roads

  3. Rational on June 24th, 2020 10:08 am

    Can’t wait to see COVID-19 cases go up even more. Ignorant Government officials and even dumber people.

  4. Bob Barbanes on June 24th, 2020 9:44 am

    The article begs the question: How many free public parking spaces are there on the island?

    How come we dumb locals go out to the beach in the afternoon *KNOWING* the parking lots are going to be full? Doesn’t make any sense to me.

  5. Usedstuit on June 23rd, 2020 10:17 pm

    David Huie Green…
    Pine Forest Road is considered a main artery with people from all over using it throughout the day and there are times of the day when it s extremely crowded and slow. (My point was it is STILL a two lane rd) and. (Added note that the Beach is 4 lane) and thx for the updated numbers, which i am sure are higher now.

  6. David Huie Green on June 23rd, 2020 5:55 pm

    Pine Forest Road is considered a main artery with people from all over using it throughout the day and there are times of the day when it s extremely crowded and slow.
    If I am reading it right, Pine Forest Road ran about 22,000 per day in 2010, maybe 24,000 in 2015
    https://www.ecrc.org/document_center/Programs/Florida%20Alabama%20TPO/2018-CMP-Report-Minor-Update-Final.pdf

    I would think people going to or from Pensacola Beach are pretty much doing that and mostly in just a few hours of the day so more of the total over a short part of the time,

    I hope they are okay.

  7. usedstuit on June 23rd, 2020 8:08 am

    that was the daily count for the two-lane intersection @ Pine forest ten or fifteen years ago. Doesn’t sound like much to me, when you see it every day.

  8. Russ Farley on June 23rd, 2020 7:07 am

    I stay away on weekends, but I sure as hell hope they open all the lanes and not funnel people into two lanes. And it was stupid to close one of the lanes for emergency vehicles only.