70-mile stretch of turnpike through Central Florida going cashless

ClickOrlando.com ^ | May 22, 2019 | Adrianna Iwasinski

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

ORLANDO, Fla. - Imagine not being able to pay cash for some of the toll roads you use every day. It's already happened in and around Miami and near Tampa, but now it is going to be happening in Central Florida.

The Florida Turnpike Enterprise confirmed that all Florida's Turnpike roadways are going to all-electronic tolling in a 70-mile stretch from Osceola County to Sumter County by next summer. According to FTE, the project will take place on Florida's Turnpike from Kissimmee Park Road at milepost 239 to I-75, which is at milepost 309.

"They're going to continue on the toll road like they have before, but they're not going to have to merge, not going to have to slow down prior to that," Florida Turnpike's Katie Mitzner said. "So it's going to be safer. It's going to be more convenient."

Mitzner confirmed that the cash tolls at the Leesburg exit are already being prepped for the changeover.

"The big crux of what is going to be taking place is going to be the installation of a gantry that is going to be going over all four lanes," Mitzner said. "And following that, they will demolish the Leesburg toll plaza."

The new gantry will be built over the existing four lanes of the turnpike, about a half mile south of the existing Leesburg toll plaza at milepost 288. The project will include milling and resurfacing, minor widening, lighting, highway signing, guardrail, toll facilities and other construction and safety improvements.

FTA said customers may encounter lane closures, ramp closures and detours at night, weekends and non-peak travel periods.

How does all-electronic tolling work? See it at FloridasTurnpike.com.

[snoringbear]

“We’re moving towards that here in the NYC area; too much of the tolls were just used to pay the toll collectors.”
*

Yeh, I’ve traveled on business to NJ, NY, etc. and toll rates are much higher than here in Texas. Not sure I understand why this is. Even though Texas toll rates are less than in the northeast, the fam and I use non-toll roads as much as possible.

[mewzilla]

Human toll takers priced themselves out of business with their salary, health bennies and pensions costs.

[kearnyirish2]

I rarely use toll roads; the impact is felt most by those entering NYC from NJ and those who moved into cheaper areas in central NJ and along the coast.

There is so much congestion in NJ, and it spread with urban sprawl; charging tolls really didn’t address it (doesn’t thin the herd). As I understand it, tolls can only be charged where there is a free alternative - and those alternatives are choked no just with traffic, but traffic signals, businesses alongside the roads, etc..

[napscoordinator]

I get it. I have the same feelings with North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona. I get the same response I gave about Florida. Those living in those states tell me they got this. It’s just a worrying time I guess. Have a great week!!!!

[snoringbear]

“There is so much congestion in NJ, and it spread with urban sprawl; charging tolls really didn’t address it (doesn’t thin the herd). As I understand it, tolls can only be charged where there is a free alternative - and those alternatives are choked no just with traffic, but traffic signals, businesses alongside the roads, etc..”
*

Yeh, understand about not thinning the herd. People and corporations are relocating so fast to DFW area that roads and concrete can’t keep up. I live near the corridor where much of the relocations are happening and being retired I stay off the roads during morning and evening rush unless absolutely necessary.

[bert]

Near Raleigh NC, I inadvertently turned on a toll road that haad no tool booths. Realizing the error, I got off as soon as I could.

Weeks later, I got a toll bill in the mail that could be payed with a credit card. The bill was for $.43. The postage was $.41

[kearnyirish2]

Yes, those are times to avoid the roads here as well; total gridlock. While the economy is dying, they are still building multi-family housing for the trafficked immigrants they bring in to keep the lights on/school districts from collapsing, and we have plenty of strip-malls and crap for the “service economy” (the minimum wage-type jobs).