Posted on 10/10/2017 12:32:42 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
More than $45 million in revenue is believed to have been lost when the state suspended highway toll collections to help speed evacuations and relief efforts for Hurricane Irma, Florida's Turnpike system estimates.
However, the estimated $3 million-a-day impact is not expected to hinder operations of the system or ongoing work programs, “as impacts such as toll suspensions due to a hurricane are taken into consideration during the annual budgeting process,” turnpike spokesman Chad Huff said in an email Friday.
Funding 404 full-time positions, the turnpike system is budgeted at $1.57 billion for the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
Tolls were lifted by Gov. Rick Scott on Sept. 5 in advance of Hurricane Irma's trek across Florida. Toll collections resumed at 12:01 a.m. Thursday across the state, though they remained suspended on the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike south of State Road 874 in southern Miami-Dade County, as Monroe County recovery efforts continue.
Irma made initial landfall Sept. 10 in Monroe County and a second landfall in Collier County before traveling north and exiting the state Sept. 11.
As Irma approached Florida, an estimated 6.3 million people were directed through mandatory or voluntary evacuations to find shelter inland or further away.
The state has not estimated how many people took to the road in advance of the storm.
The Florida Department of Transportation also suspended construction, clearing work zones to reduce traffic impacts for evacuees.
The turnpike system backed the governor's toll suspension.
“Governor Scott's top priority was to keep people safe as our state faced the threat of Hurricane Irma and to ensure Floridians had no reason to not evacuate if they were in evacuation zones,” Huff wrote. “Suspending tolls was critical to helping Floridians travel safely and quickly during the largest ever evacuation in U.S. history.”
Also Friday:
—- Scott continued to focus on debris removal, which he earlier blamed for slowing efforts to restore power lost from storm and causing public health issues.
Scott on Thursday invited debris removal companies to contact the Florida Department of Transportation —- if willing to work “at a fair price” —- as he's received complaints from local governments about debris-removal contractors not abiding by pre-storm contracts.
—- Scott expanded license-free freshwater and saltwater fishing through June 30, 2018 for utility workers. The same offer was provided for Florida law-enforcement officers and first responders on Thursday. The offer includes free day passes to Florida state parks through October 2018.
So?
Well, that is a “sad” situation, given that they need to clean up...but there’s always Uncle Sam, right? /s
If I had the time, I would take side roads. More pleasant, nice little places to see and have lunch, etc.
When I went to Chicago for my Dad’s funeral, we were coming up against a toll booth. I was panicked, searching for change; there were no exits before the booth. Scraped the bottom of the barrel and came up with the money.
LOL! Just thinking the same thing.
We must all get out the world's tiniest violins. What a concert it would be! ;)
In a natural disaster, in which people lost lives and property, and have their lives upended, who the heck cares about the financial impact of allegedly “losing” tolls on a toll road?? There are far more impacts of a natural disaster than this. Geez.
I’ve never driven on it, but I’ve been told, that the New York State Thruway is in terrible condition. Granted older roads will need maintenance, however, people I spoke to, wondered where their toll money was going, because it clearly wasn’t going into maintenance.
I live in Ft. Lauderdale.
Driving to Orlando from here (3hrs ea way) takes gas (roughly $40 ea way), plus $12 ea way in tolls.
Taking amtrak, ticket is $34 ea way but takes 5hrs ea way.
I’m gonna take the opposite view here. One of the worst political decisions Kentucky made was to remove tolls from their toll roads after the bonds were retired. Now they can’t afford to maintain them, and they can’t afford to build new roads. Pretty stupid.
But Floridians GAINED more than $45 million.
...
Bingo...great point!!! It’s their money!!!
They did not “lose” any money. You cannot lose what has never been in your posession.
Not really a racket... the ones paying the tolls are using the road, which is as fair as you can get. Roads that do not have tolls get funded by people who never use them as well as those who do, which is unfair.
Florida didn’t “lose” anything.
It collected $45 million less in tribute for the privilege of using its roads.
If you don’t have a Sun Pass you will have a very tough time driving around central Florida. Criminal IMO.
I looked it up
Pennsylvania turnpike toll is $44.85 end to end...
Pretty pricing for a really poorly maintained road...
I might spend that much in a month running around on Florida toll roads..
Easy solution, double the tolls until the $45M is paid back, and then, after being paid back, ‘forget’ that part of the plan.
Worked in Houston!!!!
“Criminal IMO.”
Thus why I used the word “racket” in my post. The Orlando area is my primary experience with turnpikes in FL.
Central Florida is a beehive of rip off toll roads.
And what is interesting is that 20 years later when the bonds are paid off they don’t stop levying the tolls.
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