Generally, there are two methods to make payment of roads maintenance and construction cost via Tolls and Taxes. When payment for the road maintenance is paid through taxation it is charged regardless of their usage. Some people feel this is unfair to pay tax regardless of considering the usage of the road by them because some people regularly use the highways but doesn’t pay the tax because they don’t live there, so this method is not accepted as much as toll is.
The toll of the road is collected by the people who actually use them. Many tourists from other states visit Florida and this is the only reason for many highways. Toll payment system of receiving the road maintenance cost allows public and private ownership, instead of the government.
Florida Toll Road Length – Total Distance
Florida occupies 744miles which means 1181km toll road, bridges and causeway. Florida turnpike is longest of these occupying more than 504km (313 miles). Toll roads are appointed as State roads with special toll shields consisting of homestead extension and turnpike.
Florida Toll Road Pass – Sun Pass or EZ Pass
Florida citizen need not pay state income tax but have to face the trouble of using various toll roads in Florida. Drivers can use Sun Pass or E pass on toll roads both are means of electronic toll collection. Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) own and operate EPass.
Florida turnpike enterprise (FTE)part of the Florida department of transportation(FDOT). Toll revenue of EPass is invested in central Florida only whereas the revenue of Sunpass is invested statewide. EPass toll sticker is free of cost and Sunpass costs $4.99. Both are prepaid toll collection method.
An interoperability agreement under which Florida toll agency operates collects toll on behalf of the owner of the road. If an EPass customer travels on the SunPass accepting toll road each transaction is forwarded to the CFX it charges the EPass account and transfers the toll amount to the FDOT, the same process is applied on the sunpass customer using EPass accepting toll roads. Sunpass customers are not allowed any type of discount whereas EPass customers are allowed discount. (only high-frequency drivers).
Sun Pass Signup Process – Make Online Payment | Recharge Online
You need to follow the below-given steps to purchase and activate the Sun Pass:
- Visit the official website of Sun Pass.
- Call the customer care service centre 1-888-865-5352(1-888-Toll-FLA)
- Visit a kiosk in Turnpike Service Plazas or in Florida’s Welcome Centres
- Visit one of the 5,000 retail locations in Florida, including Publix Super Markets, CVS Pharmacy, and Walgreens.
- Download the SunPass mobile app.
- After following any of the above steps and creating sunpass account you only need your username and password to login into your account.
Florida Toll road Violation and Fines
While driving on the toll road if in any case, you forget to pay toll amount a bill will be mailed to you on the address recorded in Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). After receiving the mail, you need to make payment of the toll amount on the date mentioned in the mail received otherwise below mentioned actions will be taken against you:
- A second document will be issued with an additional amount to be paid together with the toll transaction amount. Failure to this too will lead to extra additional charges and may also result in a registration hold on the licence plate or uniform traffic citation notice can also be issued as further action.
- Registration stop may take place due to many unpaid tolls and renewing of licence or licence plate will also be prevented. Registration stop can only be removed within 24hrs to 48 hrs when payment is made.
- While driving on Florida toll roads if you get over without the toll payment device or pass there is no need to run towards the cash lane just stop in the middle of the freeway and you will receive a mail just pay it immediately and drive ahead this will not affect your driving record in any manner.
Florida Toll Roads Costs
There is a slogan for Florida toll roads “The less stress way” the average cost of constructing a toll plaza may range between $5 to 15 million per plaza. At this rate, if calculation is made 330 miles of a toll road will cost $6.8 billion and Florida toll roads are constructed by the investment of $23billion approx.
Huge investment is made in constructing a toll road so that better driving experience can be allocated to the drivers. This huge investment is collected from the public of the state by the managing authority of these toll roads in the form of Toll charges on the basis of usage of the road by them. Florida Toll costs depend on the section of which toll road driver is driving and what distance is he covering but charges are applied on the basis of miles and wheels of the vehicle.
Florida Toll Road Map
Florida turnpike encompasses 483miles of toll road this made travelling more convenient and efficient due to fewer exits and reduced congestion.
Below given are the toll roads in Florida:
- Interstate highways
- Florida turnpike Ocala to homestead
- Alligator alley (1-75 between Miami and Naples)
- Beeline Expressway (Orlando to Cape Canaveral)
- Coastal island bridges.
Florida Toll Road Payments – Ways to Pay the Toll
There are several ways to pay the toll:
- EPass
- Pay by plate
- Pay Tollo
- Reload
EPass
Mostly preferred option for Toll payment is EPass for the drivers who travel on the central Florida roads. Discounts are offered to its customer and it is low-cost pass as compared to cash. On all the toll roads of Florida EPass is widely accepted.
Pay by Plate
It is invoice method of toll payment driver will pay the toll on the basis of pay as you go here E-Pass toll rates are not applicable.
Paying via pay by plate- a picture will be captured of your licence plate when you pass through the toll road, A monthly toll invoice is generated and mailed to the owner of the vehicle as per registration records. To avoid violation payment is to be made within 30 days. Pay by plate toll is double rates as compared to electronic rates.
Pay with Cash
Due to being one of the top tourist destinations Central Florida has the huge number of visitors travelling on the road, this is the reason that at some toll plaza accept cash for which manned and unmanned toll plazas are available. The toll plaza where no attendant is available exact change is required at the time of payment.
Guidelines of Ramp Plaza
These are unattended toll plazas here cash customers must have with them the exact change to pay their tolls. Accepting any type of bill is not allowed.
Guidelines for manned Toll Plazas with Toll Attendant
- Cash customers can make payment to the man attendant at the tollbooths.
- Lager than $50 bills are not accepted
- Toll receipts are a matter of the request
E-PASS can be recharged with cash
At the Reload Lanes and at Touch-n-Buy kiosk locations in Central Florida, cash is accepted to stimulate E-PASS accounts.
Reload
This is a service where drivers can use their credit or debit card and cash can get free EPass sticker or can also recharge EPass account. Reload lanes are open for 7 days a week from 6 AM to 8 PM.
Florida Toll Road Schedule
Following agencies are indulged in managing Florida turnpike, toll roads, bridges and express lanes:
- Florida turnpike enterprise
- Florida Department of Transportation
- Central Florida expressway authority
- Town of Bay Harbor Islands
- Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority
- Santa Rosa Island Authority
- Gasparilla island bridge Authority
- Monroe County
- Dunes community development district
- Miami-Dade County
- Mid-Bay Bridge Authority
- Lee County Department of Transportation
- Tampa Hills-Borough Country Expressway Authority
- Osceola County
- Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
- Leon county
- Sun pass
- Sun pass wiki
- Leeway
For any further assistance or query about toll payment methods or toll, bill visit the official website or any of the agencies respectively.
Florida Toll Roads, Bridges and Express Lanes
Here is the list of Florida toll roads:
- Central Florida near Orlando
- Central Florida Expressway
- West-central Florida
- South Florida near Miami
- Miami Dade expressway
- North Florida
Here is the list of Florida toll bridges:
- Broad causeway
- Toll 281 Garcon point bridge
- Bob Sikes- Pensacola beach bridge
- Gasparilla beach bridge
- Card soud
- Hammock Dunes Parkway bridge
- Venetian way Causeway
- Rickenbacker causeway
- Mid-Bay bridge
- Cape coral
- Midpoint memorial bridge
- Sanibel Causeway
Here is the list if Florida toll express lanes:
- 95 express lanes in Broward
- I-595 express lanes I-75/Sawgrass Expressway to Turnpike Mainline
- I-295 Express lanes in Northeast Florida are under construction
- Seminole Expressway
- SR 417 express lanes are under construction
Florida Toll Road and Covid-19
The provisional suspension is made in Florida to curtail the probable susceptibility of travellers and employees from the COVID-19 virus. The Central Florida Expressway Authority abolished the cash toll collection and switched to license plate tolling method called pay by plate. Electronic cash toll collection has no changes due to this pandemic. Florida is one of the states which heavily depends on the toll roads to reduce congestion.