Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a toll discount program for frequent SunPass users that will begin next month.
Speaking at the Florida Turnpike headquarters in Orlando on Thursday, DeSantis said the program will apply to motorists using roads owned by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The SunPass Savings program will begin Sept. 1 and run for the next six months.
It will provide a 20% credit each month for motorists driving two-axle vehicles — whose accounts are in good standing — with at least 40 paid transactions a month, and 25% for those with 80 or more transactions.
DeSantis said the program is part of a larger tax-cut proposal that he will present to the Florida Legislature next year.
"We need relief for folks," DeSantis said. "What can we do; what are our options? And obviously the legislative proposal is in the works and that is forthcoming, but could we do anything now? It's part of a lot of things that we've been able to do to recognize, really, the toll that this inflationary period is having."
According to a news release, the program will provide an estimated $38 million in relief to SunPass commuters.
Motorists who use FDOT highways for their daily commutes spend an average of $50 a month on tolls, the release said. The program could save them about $60 over the next six months.
The program will apply to several roadways across the greater Tampa Bay region, including the Sunshine Skyway, Suncoast Parkway, Veterans Expressway, Polk Parkway, and Pinellas Bayway.
A map showing the highways that will qualify for the discounts can be found here.
Copyright 2022 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7.