toll roads

Jefferson County would no longer be the northern end point for a proposed extension of the Suncoast Parkway, under a bill approved unanimously Tuesday by the House Commerce Committee.

A republican-backed effort to repeal the construction of three controversial toll roads is moving forward in the legislature. It would open the door for two other projects to commence.

Two years after Florida lawmakers approved a controversial toll-road plan, a Senate committee is slated next week to consider a bill that could undo major parts of a 2019 law.

A Florida Democrat has a filed a bill to halt efforts to build three new toll roads in the state. The measure, filed Wednesday, would repeal the program created to build the roads and would return any funding earmarked for the project to the general fund.

For much of the past year, state transportation officials heard strong opposition to plans for three major new toll roads in Florida. But the controversial projects aren’t dead. They were back before the Legislature just last week.

The task force reports suggested lawmakers direct the Department of Transportation to further determine if the roads would reduce congestion on Interstate 75; establish how the roads would be used for disaster evacuations and response; consider the economic pluses and minuses in shifting traffic into new rural regions; work with local governments so utility and broadband expansions meet existing policies about urban sprawl; and protect environmentally sensitive resources such as springs, wetlands, and floodplains in support of habitat conservation and water quality.

In draft reports released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Transportation, the task forces said --- in somewhat similar language --- they couldn’t reach conclusions on specific needs for the roads because of the information available and displayed a preference for first improving or expanding existing highways and utility corridors.

A project tying toll roads to a broadband expansion has made some mad because they say there’s no need for additional roadways. Opponents believe the expansion can happen without road construction. But the Florida Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Will Watts believes it’s best to combine the two.

A new front against the building of three new toll roads has opened. Given the new coronavirus pandemic and economic uncertainty, can the state still afford them?

To prepare for more development, lawmakers in Florida are commissioning new toll roads through rural areas. But some communities are pushing back. "We don't need this toll road," one resident says.