OK, lets try another subject!

[gwstang]

My wife unit (red head) went to Tampa, Fl a couple of weeks ago, to visit our youngest boy (30). She evidently went through one of "Toll Roads", got a bill from them for $6.53 . Just curious as to who actually builds the toll toads? Just interested if public money is used or not. Back in '77-'79, I finished up my Navy days in Pensacola, Fl at the NAS there. There was a big bridge that has a gigantic hump in the middle for the big boys to go through to the Gulf. If I still remember correctly, the public were promised that the toll for crossing the bridge would end one the bridge was paid for. Well, guess what? Ya, you already guessed it. Long, Long after the bridge was paid off....the city/county would not let that cash cow go. Still have to pay today to cross it. I think it's about $3 or so for a car. I found it.... "Without a sun pass, you'll be charged an additional $2.50 for your first trip onto the island, then it's the standard $1 charge thereafter."

That really rack up on that. In the summer, many thousands of tourists cross there a day. :confused2:

 

[bunyip]

Same happened here, promises of a toll to finish after 'X' years has now been extended for another 10-15 years, new roads being built will be tolled so drivers will benefit (if you can figure that out let me know).
One toll road is operated by a private entity and will be handed over to the State when the price has been achieved, I am not holding my breath waiting for the toll to stop when it is paid for.
To add insult to injury anyone who has a utility vehicle is tolled the same as a truck, so many people have taken to driving these as they are a passenger vehicle with a decent towing capacity and room to carry camping gear etc, the government argue they are a cargo carrying commercial vehicle, snouts in the trough yet again, the loser pays system.
We have an electronic tag that records all trips and these must always be in credit for about $40.00, my money in their account making them money while I am not using it, the tag can be used on any tollway in the country.
It reminds me of an old episode of the Beverley Hillbillies with Phil Silvers as a conman taking money for supposedly building a tunnel through the San Bernadino mountains to take the smog away, 'we get the money, you get the shaft'.

 

[Jim Shooz]

We had that problem here. Local Council built the bridge and continued to charge tolls after it was paid for. A group of locals who had to use the bridge every day got together and looked carefully at the wording of the Government legislation which gave the Council the authority to charge. Started getting Court documents together. The toll booths disappeared overnight.

 

[polo1665]

Was shocked the last time I used the Pa turnpike. It'll cost you $55.00 to cross the state (Delaware to Ohio), $39.00 with Easy Pass. Seems a bit steep to me.

 

[Mendonsy]

What is even more irritating is when you get a bill from a toll road that you have never been on or even near. This new "cashless tolling" system is becoming a real disaster.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Same here. We have a toll road that was built back in the 50's with the assurance that in 20 years it would become a free road...but guess what? They reupped the tolls to help pay for the subsequent toll roads that they built, and all of the toll roads still charge tolls...including the original!

 

[oosik]

There was a bridge in Spokane where a toll was being collected when we first arrived - 1982. It was that way for about eight years. Then a big celebration - the bonds that financed the repairs to the bridge were paid off. Everybody held their breath - the city removed the toll booths and there was no longer a toll to cross the bridge. To be completely honest - the toll( $0.20) was more of a nuisance than a revenue source.

The system worked EXACTLY as it was supposed to.

Otherwise - I've never driven in the "land of the toll roads". Must be exciting............

 

[mjarrels]

San Diego Cornanado bay bridge did the same thing, bridge was paid off, kept the toll going to maintain upkeep. Wife went to NJ last year, got a ticket in the mail for running a toll road, they seam to be designed that you are always in the wrong lane when aproaching a toll both.

mark

 

[MossRoad]

I90 runs across northern Indiana. It was built as a toll road back in the 50's, with the promise it would be turned into a freeway once it was paid for. Well, the bonds got paid off, and instead of opening it up, they re-bonded it and it remained a toll road. And again.... then, in 2004, the governor put the toll road up for lease, and a foreign company bid $3,800,000,000 (yes, that's $3.8 Billion with a B) to lease it for 75 years. That company went bankrupt in 2014 and another foriegn consortium now controls the lease. Opponents of the original proposal (mostly the opposite party from the governor) filed a lawsuit in my county, and the judge told them they'd have to put up a $1.9 billion bond for the lawsuit to proceed. They appealed and lost.

The money the state got from the lease went to a project called major moves, and most of that money went for highway projects around Indianapolis. Out of nearly four billion dollars, our county, which the toll road goes through, got only $40 million.

Anyhow, here's the gory details, scroll down to the history of the indiana east-west toll road for some fun reading...

Indiana Toll Road - Wikipedia

This is the only toll road in our state, so we bear the brunt of it up here in the north.

 

[/pine]

Traveling from AL to Tampa there are limited options...US 19 (that follows the coast) is highly congested and is virtually one traffic signal after another for about 200 miles...The other free option is I 75 which is closer to the center of the state...The toll road "Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway" is about in between and is by far the best option...it is managed by the FL turnpike authority...