Roads vs. pristine Florida? Gov. DeSantis signs massive toll road bill

The Florida Phoenix ^ | May 17, 2019 | Michael Moline

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Despite pleas from two former state governors and at least 90 environmental and community groups and businesses, Gov. Ron DeDantis on Friday signed a multibillion-dollar plan to build long stretches of toll roads across undeveloped sections of the state.

The legislation has been labeled “the worst environmental bill in twenty years.” And the Florida Sierra Club has warned of pristine areas becoming urban sprawl, where “subdivisions and strip malls will proliferate and the natural resources that bring visitors to the state will be overused and overrun.”

DeSantis approved the bill anyway.

The announcement came not from the governor’s press office but from aides to Senate President Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who made the projects his priority during the 2019 legislative session – and who would be in a position to frustrate the DeSantis’ agenda in the future if crossed.

The governor’s office had no immediate reply to a request for comment, but at 2:08 p.m. released an updated daily schedule listing the bill signing at 11:45 a.m. at the Longboat Key Club & Resort, where Galvano was hosting a golf tournament honoring his late father. The office issued a press release announcing the signing at 3:22 p.m.

Earlier, during a ceremonial signing in Sarasota of legislation making texting while driving a primary offense, DeSantis had signaled that he was ready to sign the bill.

“I think we need new roads in Florida to get around. It’s a bill that I’ll support and sign,” DeSantis told reporters.

“Particularly, Southwest Florida and into Central Florida, right now you have to go all the way around [Interstate] 75. It’s not a good route. To have a more direct route there I think would be good. Completing the Suncoast Parkway I think would give another route to places like Tallahassee . . .

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING.

[dp0622]

Gov. DeSantis signs massive toll road bill..

I’ve heard the bill was written on a 4 foot wide piece of paper.

...sorry...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Editorial: Toll roads to nowhere no good for Florida (5/17/19)

[DownInFlames]

Then pass a no growth bill. No new permits allowed.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Super-legal size!

Environmentalists protest massive highway plan as ‘toll roads to nowhere’ (5/14/19)

[yarddog]

I have always loathed toll roads. Just hate having to fool with them.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Toll roads bill reaches governor’s desk, will he let this road trip continue? (5/13/19)

[lastchance]

Amen.

[EagleUSA]

I would bet a lot of money changed hands with this signing....

[SuperLuminal]

Alligators and pythons affected most...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Fun in the Florida sun:

Costumed protesters warn against toll roads plan (5/15/19)

[dp0622]

What say FL folks? Is it needed?

[sparklite2]

I haven’t driven around much of the state
but I do know that no matter how decent the
roads are, if it’s a spaghetti plate mess like
we have in Ocala, yikes. Surely it won’t be.
How can you mess up a turnpike?

[Governor Dinwiddie]

You don't even realize that you were on a Florida toll road until a couple months later when a bill shows up in your mailbox.

Yeah, building more freeways really fixed Southern California alright. Yeah, that's the ticket …
 

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Do they do that stuff with electronic checks nowadays, or do they still used stuffed envelopes?

Going To The End Of The Suncoast Parkway Toll Road - At Least For Now (5/31/19)

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $826.00 dollars to 96.00%

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Some of them have gone all-electronic. A camera took a picture of your license plate for the bill, since you didn’t have a Sunpass.

[Gay State Conservative]

My beloved home state,the Gay State,has a history with toll roads/bridges/tunnels going back to the 1950s.

Long story short...every damn 400 pound,illiterate brother-in-law of every filthy knuckledragging Rat Party politician somehow manages to score a $120K/yr job on the Turnpike Authority...jobs which,according to numerous news reports,require lots of time spent on golf courses during typical business hours.

[BobL]

Sad to see he’s OWNED by Big Toll Road. No different than Governor Perry...but the ‘benefits’ from these guys are tough for any governor to resist.