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[Plutonic Panda]

Catch all thread discussion for the Florida Turnpike.

More opposition to the expansion. I hope this turnpike extension is built.

https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/transportation/2022-05-26/citrus-commissioners-oppose-plans-expand-florida-turnpike

[1995hoo]

I’m pleased to be able to use E-ZPass on the Turnpike, but I find the way they’ve implemented cashless tolling to be mildly annoying. Instead of a single entry for the old ticket system like you’d see on the Jersey Turnpike, there are constant gantries that charge separate line items for stupid amounts like 32¢. At one point near Fort Pierce we passed under two toll gantries within four minutes. Makes for a messy statement when I looked online to see whether the tolls posted.

[roadman65]

Polk Parkway is going cashless this Summer. That’s SR 570  near
Lakeland and part of the Turnpike as the FTE has roads in other areas besides the 309 miles of mainline and HEFT.

[vdeane]

I’m pleased to be able to use E-ZPass on the Turnpike, but I find the way they’ve implemented cashless tolling to be mildly annoying. Instead of a single entry for the old ticket system like you’d see on the Jersey Turnpike, there are constant gantries that charge separate line items for stupid amounts like 32¢. At one point near Fort Pierce we passed under two toll gantries within four minutes. Makes for a messy statement when I looked online to see whether the tolls posted.

The Thruway did that too.  Why can't more toll roads do it like the MassPike did and group them together so that the bill looks the same as it always did?

[02 Park Ave]

I’m pleased to be able to use E-ZPass on the Turnpike, but I find the way they’ve implemented cashless tolling to be mildly annoying. Instead of a single entry for the old ticket system like you’d see on the Jersey Turnpike, there are constant gantries that charge separate line items for stupid amounts like 32¢. At one point near Fort Pierce we passed under two toll gantries within four minutes. Makes for a messy statement when I looked online to see whether the tolls posted.

I drove down to Florida earlier this month.  Whilst down there I drove on the I-4 express lanes through Orlando and on the First Coast Expressway. I guess my next E-Z Pass statement will be quite lengthy.

What was most annoying was that both roads had signs at their entrances stating Sun Pass only although there were signs later on listing all of the passes accepted.

[1995hoo]

I just counted up the entries on my E-ZPass statement. We were driving from just off Sheridan Street in Pembroke Pines to the Auto Train station in Sanford and we used the I-75 and I-595 express lanes to the Turnpike, then the Turnpike north to I-4, then the I-4 express lanes to their northern end. One charge on I-75, one charge on I-595, thirteen separate charges on the Turnpike, and six separate charges on I-4 (although for reasons that are not clear to me, one of those is a zero charge). Over two pages of my online E-ZPass statement are from that one drive.

I guess it doesn't much matter for me as long as the charges are accurate, but I could see it being a big nuisance for people who get reimbursed and have to submit their statement or download the receipts.

[vdeane]

I guess it doesn't much matter for me as long as the charges are accurate, but I could see it being a big nuisance for people who get reimbursed and have to submit their statement or download the receipts.

Of course, it's a LOT harder to ensure accuracy when there are that many charges.  Just the 16 lines for me to drive between Rochester and Albany and back is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, especially since the Thruway doesn't bill them in order.

[1995hoo]

I guess it doesn't much matter for me as long as the charges are accurate, but I could see it being a big nuisance for people who get reimbursed and have to submit their statement or download the receipts.

Of course, it's a LOT harder to ensure accuracy when there are that many charges.  Just the 16 lines for me to drive between Rochester and Albany and back is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, especially since the Thruway doesn't bill them in order.

Definitely, and it's not like I was paying attention to the signs on the road saying what the amount is at each gantry.

[NJRoadfan]

The whole system just seems lame considering it's a ticket system setup already. Just use the existing gantry setup at the current ramps. I guess they don't want to keep track of the entry and exit locations and compute afterwards.

[formulanone]

This is what they look like now, similar to many other all-electronic tolling facilities:

The whole system just seems lame considering it's a ticket system setup already. Just use the existing gantry setup at the current ramps. I guess they don't want to keep track of the entry and exit locations and compute afterwards.

The former toll booths at (mostly) trumpet interchanges were demolished recently, so they would have been a good spot...the infrastructure was mostly there already. Now there's just a lot of empty space due to the old 1950's-era design of those interchanges.





The former mainline tollbooths (for example, this one in Lantana at Mile Marker 88) are in process of demolition; it's been about 25 years overdue for widening from the toll booths to Okeechobee Boulevard (Exit 99 / FL 704), though I think they're only preparing for the Lake Worth exit for now (Exit 93 / FL 802)...

[Avalanchez71]

I would just shunpike it.  I shunpike Florida's Turnpike now as it is.  There are a fine number of two lane roads going around the Orlando, FL area.

[pianocello]

There are a fine number of two lane roads going around the Orlando, FL area.

Most of me wants to ignore this like usual, but a small part of me really REALLY wants to know what two-lane roads you're referring to here. In my experience, the surface roads around Orlando are either going to have tolls, be bogged down with traffic signals, or go wildly out of the way.

[The Ghostbuster]

With all the toll roads in Florida, I am surprised that only the Florida's Turnpike (Mainline and Homestead Extension) has Service Areas. Other toll roads that I think "theoretically" could have had service areas: The Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (FL 528); The Suncoast Parkway (FL 589); Alligator Alley (Interstate 75); another possibility is the First Coast Expressway (FL 23).

[Tom958]

With all the toll roads in Florida, I am surprised that only the Florida's Turnpike (Mainline and Homestead Extension) has Service Areas. Other toll roads that I think "theoretically" could have had service areas: The Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (FL 528); The Suncoast Parkway (FL 589); Alligator Alley (Interstate 75); another possibility is the First Coast Expressway (FL 23).

I'm not. It's because Florida's Turnpike was built with a closed toll system: receive a ticket upon entering, pay upon exiting. Service plazas enabled users to access services without going through the hassle of paying the toll, as well as saving the agency the expense of administering the toll collection twice.

[Avalanchez71]

There are a fine number of two lane roads going around the Orlando, FL area.

Most of me wants to ignore this like usual, but a small part of me really REALLY wants to know what two-lane roads you're referring to here. In my experience, the surface roads around Orlando are either going to have tolls, be bogged down with traffic signals, or go wildly out of the way.

From Wildwood south you can take US 301 to SR 471 to SR 50 to SR 33 to Deen Still Road to CR 557 or CR 557A to CR 557 to Lake Alfred then you can cut over to US 27.  You can continue south on US 17 to Winter Haven as well to cut over to US 27.  Then US 27 south to I-75.  This is an effective shunpike.

[pianocello]

From Wildwood south you can take US 301 to SR 471 to SR 50 to SR 33 to Deen Still Road to CR 557 or CR 557A to CR 557 to Lake Alfred then you can cut over to US 27.  You can continue south on US 17 to Winter Haven as well to cut over to US 27.  Then US 27 south to I-75.  This is an effective shunpike.

Fair enough, I'll admit that's a little further out from Orlando than what I was looking for. In my mind going around Orlando is more along the lines of a Leesburg-Fort Pierce trip than a Wildwood-Ft. Lauderdale one.

Still, if I'm going all the way from Wildwood to Weston without using the Turnpike I think I'd rather just take I-75 all the way down. You've still got the toll at Alligator Alley, but you can avoid that southbound by getting on at SR 29, or there are other E-W routes that get to US 27. I guess I prefer the satisfaction of a full freeway if I'm traveling for several hours at a time.

[Avalanchez71]

From Wildwood south you can take US 301 to SR 471 to SR 50 to SR 33 to Deen Still Road to CR 557 or CR 557A to CR 557 to Lake Alfred then you can cut over to US 27.  You can continue south on US 17 to Winter Haven as well to cut over to US 27.  Then US 27 south to I-75.  This is an effective shunpike.

Fair enough, I'll admit that's a little further out from Orlando than what I was looking for. In my mind going around Orlando is more along the lines of a Leesburg-Fort Pierce trip than a Wildwood-Ft. Lauderdale one.

Still, if I'm going all the way from Wildwood to Weston without using the Turnpike I think I'd rather just take I-75 all the way down. You've still got the toll at Alligator Alley, but you can avoid that southbound by getting on at SR 29, or there are other E-W routes that get to US 27. I guess I prefer the satisfaction of a full freeway if I'm traveling for several hours at a time.

I just did this last March.  However, on the way back I did more sightseeing and took routes and went into the actual towns that the routes bypass.  Like taking CR 17, SR 17, CR 17A and some other roads.

[formulanone]

With all the toll roads in Florida, I am surprised that only the Florida's Turnpike (Mainline and Homestead Extension) has Service Areas. Other toll roads that I think "theoretically" could have had service areas: The Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (FL 528); The Suncoast Parkway (FL 589); Alligator Alley (Interstate 75); another possibility is the First Coast Expressway (FL 23).

I'm not. It's because Florida's Turnpike was built with a closed toll system: receive a ticket upon entering, pay upon exiting. Service plazas enabled users to access services without going through the hassle of paying the toll, as well as saving the agency the expense of administering the toll collection twice.

Alligator Alley was once two-lane SR 84, although there's two rest stops which opened around 2008 or so, there's no fuel nor food service (maybe vending machines).

Suncoast and First Coast are fairly recent, and I don't think there's been any serious attempts for Service Areas. A few other toll roads had suggested areas well before construction, but they were also shorter in length.

[roadman65]

Florida signs logo signs at exits, so they treat it like another interstate.

[Katavia]

They got rid of the old tickets on the Florida Turnpike too? I recall my most recent trip down there, late 2020 (no pictures, unfortunately) having to take a ticket (since I didn't have any transponder(s) back then). Aw.

[Plutonic Panda]

The project, which stretches 7 mi. from the Minneola Interchange to O'Brien Road, is part of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FDOT) efforts to widen the Mainline Turnpike from Orlando to I-75.
Florida's Turnpike traverses the state from Miami to I-75 near Wildwood and is a major freight route for trucks. Due to ever-increasing traffic volumes, additional congestion and delays already experienced by travelers in the area have grown. Once completed, the highway will provide added traffic capacity for Florida residents and the more than 100 million visitors the area sees each year along this critical travel and hurricane evacuation route.
The project's scope of work includes widening the Turnpike Mainline from four to eight lanes (four lanes in each direction), as well as constructing new stormwater treatment facilities, new bridge structures new tolling sites, signing, pavement markings, lighting, communications, intelligent traffic systems (ITS) and interchange improvements. Work is expected to begin this fall.

Widening update in the Orlando area:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/lane-construction-wins-233m-florida-turnpike-widening-project/57365

[Avalanchez71]

Those toll gantries are eye sores. 

[Roadgeekteen]

Were there ever any plans to make the Florida's Turnpike into an interstate?

[BlueOutback7]

Were there ever any plans to make the Florida's Turnpike into an interstate?

Not that I know of. I believe the Turnpike is up to Interstate standards. It’s already FL 91, and if they did, it would probably be a southern I-91. I doubt there will be a push to make it an Interstate because it isn’t federally funded.

[The Ghostbuster]

Portions of the Florida's Turnpike were to have been part of Interstate 95, but that was eliminated in 1973 as they decided to make 95 follow a seperate alignment (completed in 1987).