Florida

[FLRoads]

Is that for NB or SB since it seems there's about a mile between the ramps for each direction?

That was for NB. SB will be: Oakleaf Plantation Parkway/Discovery Drive - Exit 35

And what about the SB exit for Old Jennings Rd?

SB: Old Jennings Road/Discovery Drive - Exit 32

I forgot to include that interchange. And Discovery Drive is the replacement name for Branan Field Road.

[rickmastfan67]

Is that for NB or SB since it seems there's about a mile between the ramps for each direction?

That was for NB. SB will be: Oakleaf Plantation Parkway/Discovery Drive - Exit 35

And what about the SB exit for Old Jennings Rd?

SB: Old Jennings Road/Discovery Drive - Exit 32

I forgot to include that interchange. And Discovery Drive is the replacement name for Branan Field Road.

Alright.  Just wanted to be sure about the 'split' ramps to the C/D roads didn't have separate #'s.

BTW, do you know if the US-90 'ramps' will have a number, or just be un-numbered due to how the ramps curve to it?

[1995hoo]

I asked about this once before, but it's a little less hypothetical right now and my wife is in a big snit about it, so let me lay out the situation:

(1) Next week she's flying down to MCO, primarily to visit her sister in Viera. Renting a car, currently through Budget. The rental period will be eight days.

(2) We have a SunPass account and we have one SunPass Mini device attached to her windshield with scotch tape.

(3) I know you can use the SunPass app to add a rental car to your account and to specify the dates, so she could call me from the airport and wait while I add it. (She could theoretically do it herself, but she doesn't want to.)

(4) However, the rental agency (Budget) has something on their website saying that if you use a SunPass-Only lane (or similar E-Pass, LeeWay, whatever), you're automatically opted into their program where they charge you $3.95 per day, up to a maximum of $19.75, plus tolls at the "toll-by-plate" rate. This is what has her in a snit–she's cursing and complaining and basically telling me to find a way to avoid the charge. (The most obvious is "stay off the toll roads." Whether she'll be willing to exit MCO to the south and go through the streets to US-192 across to I-95, then north to Viera, is unclear to me, and she tends to make wrong turns anyway.)

So my questions are as follows:

(A) Budget's website says if you bring your own transponder and pay the tolls with that, you can avoid the daily fee.

(B) My concern is that if she does not bring our SunPass Mini, it won't matter if I add the rental to our account via the app.

(C) So does that mean she should bring our transponder and some tape and stick it up there, then call me before driving anywhere so I can add the car just in case of a misread? (Also have me set a reminder on her iPhone to make sure she doesn't leave the SunPass Mini on the windshield when she returns the car?) Or is it unnecessary to bring our device because when it queries the database it'll bill our account instead of Budget's provider?

It's the last question for which I can't find a straight answer online–what happens if the plate is registered to our account and she's on, say, the Bee Line and doesn't have our transponder in the car? Or, more importantly, what happens if she has the transponder but there's a misread? Does our account get billed, or do they bill it to Budget's provider such that she then gets stuck with the $19.75 service charge plus tolls on her rental bill? Budget does not provide a way to opt out of this other than either paying cash for tolls (a potential problem if she goes down to Pembroke Pines and isn't careful about the route and winds up on cashless toll roads) or just staying off toll roads entirely (theoretically easy except for the nuisance of avoiding the Bee Line)?

Thanks in advance.

[formulanone]

My experience with Avis/Budget is that they usually put the toll transponder in a box that slides with a lever that makes it read tolls (ON/OFF). You have the option of sliding it so you can either pay the tolls by cash - if accepted - and then charge to your own account. The catch is whether SunPass's operations are fast enough to update a licence plate change on your own account.

I haven't personally had an active account in 5 years, but they usually warned of 24/36/48-hour delays in account information. I would imagine it's a bit faster, but maybe not yet fast enough to understand you've left MCO and will be taking the ramp to SR 417 in about 5 minutes.

[vdeane]

Also keep in mind that Florida's toll contractor has been having issues, resulting in payment processing and whatnot taking a really, really long time.

[Rothman]

The whole toll process was smooth after my trip to southern Florida almost exactly a year ago.

[jdb1234]

All of the tolls that I incurred while in Florida were posted on my Sunpass account by the time I returned the rental car last week.

[FLRoads]

BTW, do you know if the US-90 'ramps' will have a number, or just be un-numbered due to how the ramps curve to it?

There were no tabs on the guide signs when we drove it, so I would say it will be un-numbered. Next time we head up there we'll check it out though

[vdeane]

The whole toll process was smooth after my trip to southern Florida almost exactly a year ago.

Looks like the problems started in June.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/sunpass/interactive-timeline-floridas-sunpass-problems/67-569843541

[Georgia]

In Pensacola tonight, the work on the Bay Bridge is progressing pretty well.  I would say 75% of the bridge beams are up and probably 15% of the bridge deck is poured with another pour planning session looking like it was going on tonight around 8:30pm.

[1995hoo]

So essentially on the SunPass issue the answer is pretty much "who knows what the best option is." Ugh.

[formulanone]

So essentially on the SunPass issue the answer is pretty much "who knows what the best option is." Ugh.

If your account is up-to-date, you can confidently shut off the transponder and just use your SunPass Mini. Avis uses Velcro to hold it in place on the windshield. Sometimes I find it in the glovebox or center console storage (or completely missing) from the vehicle, but I suppose the OFF switch should do the trick by shielding the transponder

I don't think it checks license plates and verifies them against your account, unless your balance is not enough to pay the toll, or the transponder is not in use.

[1995hoo]

Thanks. That sounds sensible. I'll make sure I grab her phone before she leaves so I can set a reminder to make sure she removes our SunPass Mini when she returns the rental car!

[jdb1234]

So essentially on the SunPass issue the answer is pretty much "who knows what the best option is." Ugh.

If your account is up-to-date, you can confidently shut off the transponder and just use your SunPass Mini. Avis uses Velcro to hold it in place on the windshield. Sometimes I find it in the glovebox or center console storage (or completely missing) from the vehicle, but I suppose the OFF switch should do the trick by shielding the transponder

I don't think it checks license plates and verifies them against your account, unless your balance is not enough to pay the toll, or the transponder is not in use.

I wouldn't worry about the Sunpass issue too much.  I racked a bunch of tolls while I was in Florida, and all were posted by the time I returned the rental.

Since you are using a rental, you can also set a specific date and time to remove the car from your account when you register the car.  I set my account to remove the rental for the same time that I returned it.

[02 Park Ave]

CFX is joining the E ZPass Network on 1st Sepember!

[1995hoo]

So essentially on the SunPass issue the answer is pretty much "who knows what the best option is." Ugh.

If your account is up-to-date, you can confidently shut off the transponder and just use your SunPass Mini. Avis uses Velcro to hold it in place on the windshield. Sometimes I find it in the glovebox or center console storage (or completely missing) from the vehicle, but I suppose the OFF switch should do the trick by shielding the transponder

I don't think it checks license plates and verifies them against your account, unless your balance is not enough to pay the toll, or the transponder is not in use.

I wouldn't worry about the Sunpass issue too much.  I racked a bunch of tolls while I was in Florida, and all were posted by the time I returned the rental.

Since you are using a rental, you can also set a specific date and time to remove the car from your account when you register the car.  I set my account to remove the rental for the same time that I returned it.

This is what we did. She left the SunPass Mini at home and called me from the airport when she got the car; I was logged into our SunPass account on my office PC and added the car with an expiration date and time. We'll see how it works. Today's tolls on the Bee Line haven't posted yet, but then I would expect with no transponder it would take longer than it does normally (they usually post instantly, confirmed by an auto-replenishment appearing on my Apple Watch shortly after passing under a toll gantry last time we were in Florida).

She told me she asked the guy at the rental counter about it: "Man said to flip the car pass to off so mine will be used." I'm not really sure what she means by that, but I keep reading it as flipping off the pass and obviously that's not what it means!

CFX is joining the E ZPass Network on 1st Sepember!

I'm still curious as to how this is to work on roads that are split between agencies–I believe FL-417 is partially CFX and partially Turnpike Enterprise. Presumably the CFX portion will accept E-ZPass and the other portion won't. That's a recipe for trouble and confusion. I wonder how they'll sign this in a clear fashion.

I guess we should remove our E-ZPass from the windshield when we're in Orlando in the future just to be safe.

[1995hoo]

Now this is interesting:

Moving forward, possibly by the end of the year, the two agencies are planning on unveiling a new transponder that will actually combine E-PASS and E-ZPass into one ....

I'd love to hear more details on this, although I highly doubt the E-ZPass Flex functionality will be part of this dual solution, so it wouldn't likely work for Ms1995hoo and me. Still, it'll be interesting to find out what they do.

Source for that quotation: http://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2018/08/08/extra-on-getting-there--e-zpass-now-located-at-e-pass-tolls

[lordsutch]

Question: Why is there no freeway spur to Ocala, Gainesville, Clearwater, or Fort Myers/Cape Coral?

My understanding is that once upon a time (1970s, maybe early 1980s) there were plans for a freeway/tollway loop around Ocala; I saw a map once that showed a vague routing (I think it was roughly around 326 on the north side, 35 to the east, and somewhere around SW/SE 80th Street to the south). My guess is basically the same small-town thinkers killed it who (at least apocryphally) killed off Disney and MLB spring training coming to Ocala.

Incidentally, FDOT recently buried the Coastal Connector study because of Marion County NIMBYs, so if there ever is going to be a toll road to Jacksonville, it'll probably end up paralleling SR 24 instead of US 301 south of Waldo to Gainesville and then roughly following SR 121 & US 41 down to the Suncoast. I can't imagine Williston saying no to freeway access even if Ocala & Marion County are content to choke in traffic with half-assed solutions like the Belleview bypass.

[edwaleni]

Question: Why is there no freeway spur to Ocala, Gainesville, Clearwater, or Fort Myers/Cape Coral?

My understanding is that once upon a time (1970s, maybe early 1980s) there were plans for a freeway/tollway loop around Ocala; I saw a map once that showed a vague routing (I think it was roughly around 326 on the north side, 35 to the east, and somewhere around SW/SE 80th Street to the south). My guess is basically the same small-town thinkers killed it who (at least apocryphally) killed off Disney and MLB spring training coming to Ocala.

Incidentally, FDOT recently buried the Coastal Connector study because of Marion County NIMBYs, so if there ever is going to be a toll road to Jacksonville, it'll probably end up paralleling SR 24 instead of US 301 south of Waldo to Gainesville and then roughly following SR 121 & US 41 down to the Suncoast. I can't imagine Williston saying no to freeway access even if Ocala & Marion County are content to choke in traffic with half-assed solutions like the Belleview bypass.

Here is the obituary on the Coastal Connector.  Seen as a threat to the local equine industry.  West of Ocala and down to Dunnellon are a great deal of horse farms and breeders.

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/coastalconnector.html

[Jim]

It looks like one victim of the Starke Bypass is likely to be Norman's farmstand.  We've been stopping there for years, including a couple days ago, on our way north out of Florida.  Their location is right at the north end of the bypass.  From what I can tell, they might only be accessible from the northbound lane of traffic coming out of Starke on current 301 before it joins northbound bypass traffic.  They have always had a series of signs along the roadway advertising whatever's currently available at the stand, but this week one of the signs read something like "Please Stop In, Construction is Killing Us".

[1995hoo]

Following up on my rental-car tolls question: Ms1995hoo has been in Florida since Tuesday. She used the Bee Line on Tuesday (MCO to her sister's house) and Wednesday (coming back from a day trip to Venice) and she mistakenly used the I-75 express lanes yesterday. So far, only one toll transaction has posted–Wednesday night at what it labels as "Main B"  on the Bee Line. Be interesting to see whether anything else posts before she returns the car Tuesday, or alternatively how long it takes after that time for tolls to post retroactively. I suppose portions of the Bee Line are CFX, so I guess that might affect matters.

[DeaconG]

Following up on my rental-car tolls question: Ms1995hoo has been in Florida since Tuesday. She used the Bee Line on Tuesday (MCO to her sister's house) and Wednesday (coming back from a day trip to Venice) and she mistakenly used the I-75 express lanes yesterday. So far, only one toll transaction has posted–Wednesday night at what it labels as "Main B"  on the Bee Line. Be interesting to see whether anything else posts before she returns the car Tuesday, or alternatively how long it takes after that time for tolls to post retroactively. I suppose portions of the Bee Line are CFX, so I guess that might affect matters.

Bee Line between the Brevard County line to the Sand Lake Road interchange is CFEA, the rest is Florida's Turnpike Enterprise.

[1995hoo]

A few other tolls (but not all) posted yesterday, so about a three-business-day delay. What'll be interesting is to find out whether we get charged for all those same tolls by the rental agency.

[roadman65]

Again the lazy workers are procrastinating on John Young Parkway in Kissimmee.  The road has all six lanes done, except for a final coat of asphalt to be added.  They have one SB lane and the turn pockets to add its base on top of the lower fills, before adding the last coat to the whole width and then the much needed third lane can be finally opened.

The workers work only one night a week, and pave only one lane of traffic for a bout a half a mile from 10 PM to whenver they quit in the AM.

People complain about this but FDOT allows them cart blanche on this whole schedule to get it done.  Even the local paper wrote articles on this and has impacted these idiots none.  Maybe by the time the next USPOTUS full term (if he is not impeached first) the road may be done as the state keeps pushing the completion date back over and over again

[edwaleni]

Again the lazy workers are procrastinating on John Young Parkway in Kissimmee.  The road has all six lanes done, except for a final coat of asphalt to be added.  They have one SB lane and the turn pockets to add its base on top of the lower fills, before adding the last coat to the whole width and then the much needed third lane can be finally opened.

The workers work only one night a week, and pave only one lane of traffic for a bout a half a mile from 10 PM to whenver they quit in the AM.

People complain about this but FDOT allows them cart blanche on this whole schedule to get it done.  Even the local paper wrote articles on this and has impacted these idiots none.  Maybe by the time the next USPOTUS full term (if he is not impeached first) the road may be done as the state keeps pushing the completion date back over and over again

The issue is the asphalt supplier. Deliveries after a certain time causes problems with cost.  So they load up all they can before the supplier stops making hot mix and shuts down for the night.