Palmetto Expressway tolls (Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers: home, buy, living in)

[tallrick]

Since its beginnings in the 1960's The Palmetto Expressway has always been toll free. However, since Miami is now the home of the bend over and take it resident it holds out the prospect of tolls and more congestion as commuters struggle with yet another "express lane" Ponzi scheme. The Presstitutes have nothing to say about this and I see no protests. Are Miami residents really that docile and willing to be pick pocketed yet again? Are they ready for the horrible accidents that will come from frustrated drivers weaving in and out of toll lanes?

[Awsi Dooger]

I didn't know about this but I can't say I'm surprised. The proposed tolls are exactly in the stretch where greatest improvements have been made, from Flagler Street north to just shy of the Miami Lakes loop.

When I drove that segment several times recently I noted that the improvements almost seemed too good, including lighting in the Flagler Street area. I was thinking...wow they really added some nice touches. But now I realize they did it to justify the pending screw job via tolls.

After living in the West for several decades I have come to despise toll roads and avoid them almost exclusively. Naturally if I strive to save dollars at the grocery store or gas pump I don't want to give them away based on which route I take or lane I choose. Idiocy.

My sister lives in west Orlando, in the newer area of Windemere. I don't know how she can stand it. Getting on that 429 once or twice exhausts more than I'm willing to spend on tolls in a year.

But I might have to make an exception on I-95 in Dade and Broward, especially in the wee hours. I'm considering using the turnpike from now on in those counties, due to the moronic speeding lane changers. I nearly had a major accident a week ago while returning from Orlando. It was 4:30 AM and I was 40 miles from home. I was in the middle lane on I-95 doing the speed limit when suddenly a dark sports car was flashing from my rear left going at least 90.

Now, there is nothing particularly unusual about that in this area. In my family we make friendly wagers on what type of car will be involved in the accident, when we are stopped in a traffic jam as an accident scene clears. It is 50/50 that a car involved will be a black sports car or black SUV. You can take one of those two, or that neither will be involved. Over time it does work out almost exactly at 50/50. It's incredible how dependably those cars will be involved in wrecks, in comparison to all other types and colors. It's as if the genius drivers who cause accidents are transfixed by those cars and buy them almost exclusively.

The only significant dispute in memory was two months ago when we were stuck northward on I-75 between Naples and Fort Myers for more than half an hour. When we arrived at the accident scene it was BOTH a black sports car and black SUV. They were side by side and mangled in the median. Now, I thought it was clear cut but but one female family member tried to claim that the wording has always been EITHER of the two types, not BOTH. She usually chooses the No and was trying to weasel out of paying for dinner. No dice. She was out voted, and properly so. Double jeopardy doesn't apply to our game. The game is valuable because it serves to dodge the ignorant nonsense that slower drivers cause accidents, as opposed to lane changing speeding morons.

Anyway, back to that 90 mph guy in the left lane on I-95. He was angling smack toward me from the rear left, as if I didn't exist. Fortunately I was paying attention instead of looking straight ahead and oblivious. I turned my wheel right to such quick extreme that I actually smelled burning tires for several seconds. The black sports car almost immediately flashed smack past me, missing by no more than a foot or two. He was dead center in the lane I just evacuated, but angling hard right.

If I hadn't taken the quick action I'm not confident I'd still be here, and capable of posting. I-95 in general is an amazing maze of color during those hours, in Dade and Broward and especially during weekend mornings. You basically see flashing emergency lights in either direction for mile after mile. Rarely a significant break. I enjoy driving at night but it really changes after 2 AM or so, in terms of safety. I guess the impaired crowd emerges later.

I agree with tallrick that additional toll lanes on the Palmetto can only surge the number of horrendous accidents. Dade County has to lead the nation in terms of simpleton lane changers. They see 5 feet. Nothing else matters.

[doom1001]

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

I didn't know about this but I can't say I'm surprised. The proposed tolls are exactly in the stretch where greatest improvements have been made, from Flagler Street north to just shy of the Miami Lakes loop.

When I drove that segment several times recently I noted that the improvements almost seemed too good, including lighting in the Flagler Street area. I was thinking...wow they really added some nice touches. But now I realize they did it to justify the pending screw job via tolls.

After living in the West for several decades I have come to despise toll roads and avoid them almost exclusively. Naturally if I strive to save dollars at the grocery store or gas pump I don't want to give them away based on which route I take or lane I choose. Idiocy.

My sister lives in west Orlando, in the newer area of Windemere. I don't know how she can stand it. Getting on that 429 once or twice exhausts more than I'm willing to spend on tolls in a year.

I lived in Miami all my life and about a year ago moved by where your sister lives in Orlando,all I can say is I gladly pay the tolls on the 429,408 or 417 in Orlando,why,cause they rarely if ever have traffic unlike the expressways in Miami where you sit in traffic barely moving and giving them your money.I-4 is a major pain but the other expressways are great!

[OptimusPrime69]

I love the gorgeous new interchange at the Palmetto and Dolphin tho. What a piece of infrastructure!

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by doom1001

I lived in Miami all my life and about a year ago moved by where your sister lives in Orlando,all I can say is I gladly pay the tolls on the 429,408 or 417 in Orlando,why,cause they rarely if ever have traffic unlike the expressways in Miami where you sit in traffic barely moving and giving them your money.I-4 is a major pain but the other expressways are great!

Orlando is TOLL hell compared to Miami.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Are Miami residents really that docile and willing to be pick pocketed yet again?

WTF are you talking about? How can anyone be pickpocketed when the decision whether to drive in the express lane and pay the toll is completely voluntary?

I'm rarely on the Palmetto in the area of the proposed new toll lanes, but I can speak from experience when it comes to the analogous situation on I-95. I absolutely love the express lanes. In fact, even when I'm driving along that stretch even at 1 or 2 in the morning, I still get in the express lanes and pay the 50 cents even though there isn't much traffic in the regular lanes. Ah, but during the day when the regular lanes are a virtual zoo with crazy animals weaving in and out of traffic (when it isn't bumper-to-bumper), driving in the express lanes is even more of an advantage. And even during the day, outside of rush hour, the toll is still usually 50 cents and rarely more than $1 from 112 all the way to the turnpike.

Who wants to sit in traffic or drive in a zoo when you can simply pay a few bucks for a much more serene drive? But, hey, if paying tolls is anathema to you and you'd rather drive in the regular lanes, I think that's great. That just means more uncongested space for me in the express lanes!

[WrongStreet]

Are you referring to the express lanes they're going to add to the Palmetto Expressway? I'm pretty sure this has been in the works for quite some time, and kind of makes sense being that the Palmetto and I-95 are the two most congested expressways in Dade.

You don't have to use the express lanes if you don't want to, it's just a good idea if you don't want to sit in traffic all day. Frankly I'm ok with it, especially since I hardly ever take the Palmetto. Sometimes the express lanes on I-95 can be a life saver when I'm in a rush and need to get from North Dade or Broward to Coconut Grove or South Miami.

[Emil Torres]

I especially like it when I get to pay $14.25 to go from the Golden Glades to 836. That's the best! Can't wait for this option on the Palmetto too!

[doom1001]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

Orlando is TOLL hell compared to Miami.

But the roads that have tolls have incredibly free flowing traffic,even in rush hour,that doesn't happen in Miami.Plus there's tons more options in getting between places using ground streets that also actually flow.

[BNBR]

Bring on the express lanes. They have been incredibly effective so far on 595 and I95. The amount of infrastructure spending and development to help with congestion is a wonderful thing. The government actually doing something to increase the quality of our lives and people still find a way to complain.