Florida

[jdb1234]

I've only been traveling regularly to the Naples area since 2004, but even in just those years, the amount of development has been unbelievable.  The area could use some better connections between I-75 and US 41, but even the overpass at Golden Gate and Airport seemed to meet a lot of resistance (though it sure was a big improvement).

I remember when that interchange at Golden Gate and Airport-Pulling was built.  I was built to coincide with the interchange of Golden Gate and I-75.  One of the concerns was that it would help traffic at all, and would make the intersection of Golden Gate and Goodlette-Frank a mess.  I don't frequent that part of Naples often to really find out.  Naples is fairly easy to get around in, as long as you know what the major streets are.

[Jim]

I've only been traveling regularly to the Naples area since 2004, but even in just those years, the amount of development has been unbelievable.  The area could use some better connections between I-75 and US 41, but even the overpass at Golden Gate and Airport seemed to meet a lot of resistance (though it sure was a big improvement).

I remember when that interchange at Golden Gate and Airport-Pulling was built.  I was built to coincide with the interchange of Golden Gate and I-75.  One of the concerns was that it would help traffic at all, and would make the intersection of Golden Gate and Goodlette-Frank a mess.  I don't frequent that part of Naples often to really find out.  Naples is fairly easy to get around in, as long as you know what the major streets are.

The intersection with Livingston seems to be a bigger bottleneck than Goodlette-Frank in my experience.  As far as major east-west connections, Golden Gate has been the best option south of Vanderbilt, probably because Vanderbilt doesn't have an I-75 interchange.  Pine Ridge is hopeless.

[jdb1234]

Anyone else having trouble with their Sunpass?  I drove through tolls on the Suncoast Parkway and the Veterans Expressway and the tolls have not been posted to my account. 

[vdeane]

I've read that they're having a problem with their contractor.

[FLRoads]

Anyone else having trouble with their Sunpass?  I drove through tolls on the Suncoast Parkway and the Veterans Expressway and the tolls have not been posted to my account. 

As vdeane mentioned, there is still a huge debacle between FDOT (SunPass) and their contractor (Conduent). This has been going on now for almost two months now!

Here is one of the latest articles I found on it that was posted this afternoon:
https://www.winknews.com/2018/07/27/sunpass-still-facing-huge-backlog-users-fear-big-bills/

Seems there is a huge backlog of transactions with some users fearing a large bill and more and more upset at the government for not doing anything about a solution. Governor Scott has stated that the state will be stopping payment and that FDOT will be held responsible:

"It's an FDOT contract. My office doesn't even do contracts. Those are done by agencies, in this case it was FDOT, and so they're going to be held accountable"

Drivers we spoke to say the governor should waive the backlogged tolls altogether. Acee said, "It's some bureaucratic snafu and we pay for it. Should they wave them? without question."

We reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation for an updated number of backlogged transactions.

They say they're still calculating the total number and should have an update next week.

Who knows what will come of this one....

On a personal note, I just looked at my SunPass account, and toll gantries I passed through on 6/9 didn't post until 7/15, so maybe give it some more time.

[jdb1234]

I knew about the issue beforehand.  My biggest issue is that I am driving a rental.  I am also concerned that I could use up all of my prepaid tolls when I travel to Miami next week.  I am pretty sure my Sunpass was read going through the first toll plaza on the Suncoast Parkway (there are no Sunpass express lanes at that plaza).

[emory]

I knew about the issue beforehand.  My biggest issue is that I am driving a rental.  I am also concerned that I could use up all of my prepaid tolls when I travel to Miami next week.  I am pretty sure my Sunpass was read going through the first toll plaza on the Suncoast Parkway (there are no Sunpass express lanes at that plaza).

When you drive the rental, do you make sure to tie the license plate to your SunPass for the duration of the rental?

[SSOWorld]

It was working before they change it.  WTF?

Side note: No, you're not alone.  I'm still waiting for the transactions to be updated myself on mine.  How can I trust an agency that can't get their shit together?

TxTag anyone?

[BigManFromAFRICA88]

Speaking of Miami and South Florida, anyone got photos or videos of the new I-75 Express Lanes and the reconstruction that's completed/still going on?

[emory]

Speaking of Miami and South Florida, anyone got photos or videos of the new I-75 Express Lanes and the reconstruction that's completed/still going on?

back here: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2017.msg2315998#msg2315998

[Alex]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

[emory]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

A two digit tolled expressway? We sure this is Florida?

[formulanone]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

A two digit tolled expressway? We sure this is Florida?

"SR 91"

[emory]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

A two digit tolled expressway? We sure this is Florida?

"SR 91"

One that's acknowledged on shields.

[NE2]

"I-75"

[formulanone]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

A two digit tolled expressway? We sure this is Florida?

"SR 91"

One that's acknowledged on shields.

True enough.

I'm surprised they stuck with SR 23 when US 23 is located in the same county.

[rickmastfan67]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

Have a list of all the exit numbers so I can update TM's file for the route?

[FLRoads]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

Have a list of all the exit numbers so I can update TM's file for the route?

SR 21 (Blanding Boulevard) - Exit 31
Oakleaf Plantation Parkway/Challenger Drive - Exit 35
Argyle Forest Boulevard/Oakleaf Plantation Parkway - Exit 37
SR 134 (103rd Street) - Exit 41
SR 228 (Normandy Boulevard) - Exit 42
New World Avenue - Exit 44
I-10 - Exits 46A-B

[rickmastfan67]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

Have a list of all the exit numbers so I can update TM's file for the route?

Oakleaf Plantation Parkway/Challenger Drive - Exit 35

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

And what about the SB exit for Old Jennings Rd?

[Duke87]

Side note: No, you're not alone.  I'm still waiting for the transactions to be updated myself on mine.  How can I trust an agency that can't get their shit together?

TxTag anyone?

Not a coincidence, by the way. The same company (Conduent) was responsible for the screw-ups in Texas a few years ago. Things got so bad there that people were receiving bills for the first time 9-12 months after actually taking a trip, with late fees on them that they then had to get on the phone and fight with the folks in the customer service center to get waived.


I don't see calls to waive the tolls being heeded because we're talking millions of dollars in revenue that the state would be surrendering - far more than Conduent is contractually obligated to pay in liquidated damages. But it people start getting bills with late fees the state needs to make unequivocally clear that no one is under any obligation to pay any of those.

Here's a few articles from July on this:
One
Two
Three

[formulanone]

Yesterday, I received my SunPass toll receipt from June 22nd, though just for 3 days' charges. It might take a day or two for it to charge my credit card.

[edwaleni]

Had the opportunity to check out the First Coast Expressway (SR 23) on Saturday. Its fully open in each direction with the exception of the ramps linking the north end with U.S. 90 (Beaver Street). Tolls are not collected at this time, as work is still underway on drainage, signage. etc. Posted a few photos on the blog.

I drove through today. The Beaver Street ramps (US-90) are open now.

I came through on Saturday and they still had barricades, but coming back through on I-10 today I saw the barricades are pulled back now.

[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.