Posted on 04/17/2017 3:52:51 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A proposed bill to ban express lanes in Florida died Thursday in the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee.
Despite causing an increase in crashes and confusion, express lanes, according to the Florida Department of Transportation, help move people faster, and that if they were eliminated the state would lose $1.5 billion over 10 years.
All of that money is used to improve and fix roads.
Sen. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, filed SB 250 in January.
It that would have allowed the express lanes to remain in operation only until tolls are collected to pay off the bonds that were created to pay for the project.
Once the bond indebtedness had been met, the bill would require that the tolls be eliminated.
But representatives across the state werent in favor of the idea.
"I really do appreciate the safety issues, but as an abundance of caution I will probably be down on this bill today," State Rep. Mike Miller, R -Orlando, said.
There now are at least eight different express lane projects under construction in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Broward County.
"I do think the Ultimate I-4 project is critical for us in Central Florida and to tamper with it right now, I just wanna be abundantly cautious," Miller said.
Rep. Amber Mariano, R. New Port Richey, said shed like to see the bill develop into something that would change the system to make it better and not eliminate it.
"It is up to our constituents if they want to pay for these lanes or not," she said. "I think it's a great way to move traffic quicker. Id work with you on a cap they can change. I do think there is a benefit to having this system."
Rep. Michael Grant, R- Port Charlotte, said he wouldnt support legislation that would affect the entire state.
"Maybe if you said it was going to be just Miami-Dade or Broward County, I might say, 'OK try out as a pilot program,' but it just has so much of an impact on the state moving forward," Grant said.
The bill can still pass if its added or attached to a larger transportation bill in the Senate, but a source says that wont likely happen.
How about outlawing those #!*@ traffic circles.
Two things I love about Kentucky: No express lanes and no motorcycle cops.
One thing I hate: Unmarked cars that are extremely hard to spot. they have “normal” license plates, alloy wheels, and tinted windows so you can’t even see the emergency lights. And many of them don’t even have the hand spotlight on the left pillar. They come as SUV’s, Mustangs, Chevy’s and Tauruses. They really suck!
The good news is that I’ve been going 75 in a 55 on my commute (I-65 in Louisville city limits) and they have actually crawled past me and every one else going that speed.
Years ago Road & Track had a photo of the back end of a row of California State Patrol cruisers. Right in the middle was a jacked up Hemi-Charger with wide tires and a license tag reading "Fooled U!"
“How about outlawing those #!*@ traffic circles.”
They just love them in Boulder, co. and now my town is starting to use them in the skinny pants, hipster neighborhoods. I think it makes them feel all European and stuff.
They’re not so bad, once you get used to them. It’s just a matter of yielding to traffic in the circle, rather than blowing through the yellow light right as it turns red in a conventional intersection (as I’ve done numerous times).
OT: WHAT KIND OF GUY WEARS SKINNY JEANS???
There are reports of people being trapped in traffic circles till their gas runs out. Same for the skyways in Minneapolis. People have been seen wearing tie dye clothes and bell bottoms and reading papers with headlines about the ‘76 election and Harmon Killebrew hit another home run.
...jacked up Hemi-Charger with wide tires and a license tag reading “Fooled U!
I’d lose him in the corners. :-P
This one in the UK has a cute name but I seem to remember one that had more inner circles and a pull-off area before it in each major road where you could park and 'study' before entering....
“OT: WHAT KIND OF GUY WEARS SKINNY JEANS???”
Skinny jeans and a hoodie pulled up over their head when it’s 90 degrees outside and a little weasel beard. Weak little Nu-men that I want to smack. I’m sorry, I can’t help myself.
You might be thinking of rotaries, which are traffic circles in which the traffic in the circle must yield to incoming traffic, which strikes me as dumb, due to the potential for such entrapment.
On the other hand, if you’re exaggerating, carry on.
LOL! I believe it!
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