25 cent toll increase-opinions? (Orlando: tax, live, cost of)

[pianogal]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

My point is, any increase in cut-through traffic sparks the "get out of my neighborhood" and the "save the children" attitudes very quickly in Central Florida. So be sure to thank the Expressway "Authority" in a year or so when your fancy hidden cut-through gets cut-off.

Not fancy at all...I travel Econ to Curry Ford to Ferncreek to Mills (the same place I used to exit the 408) ....I'm downtown in 25 minutes flat. Taking the 417 to the 408 downtown takes 20 minutes. So it costs me 5 extra minutes but saves me at least $40 a month now ...more than that if the tolls increase.

DH has been taking the 417 to his office in Seminole County. The first three days this week, he took Goldenrod up to Aloma to 436. It took him 30 minutes. Today he took the 417 to Aloma to Red Bug to 436 .... cost him $1.25 and took 45 minutes!!!

[annerk]

Originally Posted by michaelceriale

It's not just the toll increase but everything. They find a way to tax everything you use or do, it seems to never end. Did you ever think that with your water bill and electric bill you would be paying 400.00 dollars or more a month alone for those two bills? Some states now want to put a .10 cent tax on the plastic bags to deter us from using them.....Right. It seems to never end and probably won't until you die. What really bugs me is we can give BILLIONS to banks, private industry etc. while regular middle class working people will get a big 13.00 dollar a week tax break income tax time.. WOW, don't spend that all in one place. I guess thats life and its never going to change but it does get frustrating.

My water, sewer, garbage collection, irrigation water, electric, gas, and digital cable/Internet combined doesn't add up to $400 a month averaged out over the year--I'm not sure how you can be paying that much year round unless you are heating to 90 and cooling to 62 and have a huge house.

I'm ALL FOR taxing for plastic bags. I carry my own reusable cloth sacks shopping with me, and only use plastic for fresh meat--all of it goes into one bag. Ten cents isn't going to make or break my food budget, and it will help offset carbon footprints.

Do I think that we should have handed out all the bail-out money we did without the upper management and executives taking drastic pay cuts? No. But I don't see where becoming more environmentally friendly in our day-to-day lives is related to bail-outs.

[mylinda]

some of us don't eat out drink sodas, smoke, have cable tv or any other luxuries. We still need to get to work with as little gas as possible and sometimes the toll roads are the only way to do this. I don't use them, I can't afford them. I'm a single mom on a Disney salery. .25 is too much. Lower them instead. other cities in other states eliminate them when the roads are paid for.

[jghorton]

Originally Posted by mdesler

Keep in mind that the last time they raised tolls was well over 10 years ago. I know everyone loves to harp on the tolls, but what product or service isn't more expensive today than a decade ago? While the timing is unfortunate, the cost of business goes up in price over time just like everything else.

And before anyone jumps down my throat, I do not work for the Expressway Authority. I used to commute on the 417, and paying $2 for the Lake Jesup bridge is a bit much. But, toll roads are a voluntary cost. Surface streets may be slower and less convenient, but they're a free alternative.

The Orlando area has the only toll system I am aware of in Florida! -- They may not have raised prices in 10-years, but what have they provided that other cities have not provided without tolls. Further, they keep adding toll booths -- I'll bet there have been another 10 booths added over the last 10 years... which is essentially a toll increase.

It's always driven me a little nuts to spend $5-$6 to drive across Orlando. We finally went to the window-mounted RF pass (even though we don't live in Orlando) ... to keep from getting aggravated every time we drive there. I wonder how many workers who could benefit daily from the 'toll road' don't use it because of the cost.

[annerk]

$5-6 to drive across OrlandO? Exaggerate much?

[Soup Not See]

Originally Posted by annerk

$5-6 to drive across OrlandO? Exaggerate much?

Not much of an exaggeration - drive the 417 much ? You can do the math yourself ...

Expressway Authority : Toll Calculator

Used to work with some folks commuting from Oviedo to Sand Lake/John Young Parkway area as an example ...

417 Oviedo to Beachline - $ 2.25
Beachline to John Young - $ 1.50

$ 7.50 a day ...

[annerk]

Or they could have taken 434 to I-4 for free, or the 417 to the 408 to John Young for about $3.

You want the convenience, pay for it. There ARE other options. Frankly I don't want my taxes to go up to support the convenience roads that I don't use very often. When i do use them, I have no problem paying for them.

[Soup Not See]

Sure there are other options, but you'll sit in traffic or go way out of your way unless you want to get to work at 5-6 am. I'd rather pay the extra toll than idle in traffic wasting gas. And I don't mind a minimal tax increase to pay for something useful like a convenience highway. Better that than funding some government assistance programs that encourage folks to sit on their arse and collect more money than they would get by working. But that's a subject for another day ...

[annerk]

Originally Posted by leftee

Sure there are other options, but you'll sit in traffic or go way out of your way unless you want to get to work at 5-6 am. I'd rather pay the extra toll than idle in traffic wasting gas.

Life is full of choices, and you've got to make them.

And I don't mind a minimal tax increase to pay for something useful like a convenience highway.

Your logic is flawed. Everyone will pay higher taxes for your convenience. It's not a convenience to all, just to a small few.

Better that than funding some government assistance programs that encourage folks to sit on their arse and collect more money than they would get by working. But that's a subject for another day ...

Why is it either or? It should be neither.

[keithwand]

If you don't like the toll then don't take the road.

Move closer to your job and skip tolls and surface time altogether.

I have a Sunpass and use it 2-3 times annually while a neighbor of mine will jump on and pay the .50 to go just 1 mile.

Seems silly to me.