[HARTride 2012]

Since the failure of the Hillsborough penny tax & High Speed Rail, the Tampa Bay community has been forced to look towards other alternatives to ease congestion on its highways. Though Bus Rapid Transit has been considered as one option, another option that has been gaining steam recently is the use of HOV and/or managed toll lanes on parts of bay area interstates.

Two articles are linked below for further reading on the issue.

http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2...r-ways-to-reduce-tampa-bay-traffic-ar-328813/

http://www2.tbo.com/news/business/2...s-may-be-able-to-pay-to-avoid-cong-ar-328812/

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My opinion on the matter

Even if the transit plan passed, I think we still would need HOV lanes. In visiting many larger cities like Nashville, Houston, and Washington DC, I find that HOV lanes do help in easing traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. I remember going up I-95 in Virginia/DC and seeing that corridor having reversible (at grade) HOV lanes.

The replacement bridge for NB Howard Frankland should definitely implement HOV lanes. I know funding is, and always will be, an issue. But to simply build another four lane span is beyond unacceptable. In fact, there should be HOV lanes along the entire stretch of I-275 from Fowler to Roosevelt to facilitate DT Tampa traffic and between Gandy and US 19 for the DT St Pete area. I-4 should have HOV lanes from the junction all the way to I-75.

 

[HARTride 2012]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/transp...be-studied-for-tampa-bays-interstates/1221603

The Florida Department of Transportation plans to launch five studies this summer and fall to assess the costs and benefits of adding toll lanes to parts of Interstate 275, I-75 and I-4 near the Polk County line.

Depending on the findings, department officials say they might then launch a multiyear, toll-lane building program.

"We want to develop these projects and get them ready for implementation," said Don Skelton, who heads DOT's regional office in Tampa. "We're looking at the urbanized area throughout our district."

The studies will focus on I-275 in Pinellas, including the Howard Frankland Bridge; the portion in Hillsborough between the Frankland bridge and I-4; I-275 from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Bearss Avenue; and I-4 between 50th Street and the Polk County Parkway.

A separate study looking at the possible widening of I-75 from Progress Boulevard in east Tampa to State Road 56 in Pasco County will also look at toll lanes. The studies will cost $1 million to $2 million each and take about a year to complete.

 

[Jasonhouse]

Welcome to Floriduh!

 

[HARTride 2012]

^^
Home of KING SCOTT! :bash:

YES, WE DRAIN YOUR MONEY...AND YOUR DIGNITY!

 

[Jasonhouse]

And your ability to afford an education to make more.

 

[TampaMike]

How about finishing I-275 between Frankland and Hillsborough River before studying how to improve it. This state knows sh*t about properly planning and developing a transportation network. Blame it half on the cheap ass politicians who won't raise taxes, but lowers corporate taxes and gives tax incentives, while lowering transportation spending and the other half on the population who think cheap is best and don't want their taxes increased to fix the roads that they complain about.

 

[smiley]

They know how to do it - they just do not want to do it in Tampa Bay. Orlando and MIami get lots of money and construction of infrastructure.

 

[I-275westcoastfl]

How about finishing I-275 between Frankland and Hillsborough River before studying how to improve it. This state knows sh*t about properly planning and developing a transportation network. Blame it half on the cheap ass politicians who won't raise taxes, but lowers corporate taxes and gives tax incentives, while lowering transportation spending and the other half on the population who think cheap is best and don't want their taxes increased to fix the roads that they complain about.

Well lets be honest here the backwards population is to blame too. I mean Miami and Orlando are less backwards so they make progess, even Jax has a decent road network. We just have a ton of idiot residents and politicians who are out of touch with reality and cheap as cheap can be.

They know how to do it - they just do not want to do it in Tampa Bay. Orlando and MIami get lots of money and construction of infrastructure.

Bingo! I want express toll lanes, I use them every time I go to Miami, I'll pay $2.75 to get out of traffic. :dunno:

 

[I-275westcoastfl]

EDIT double post

 

[Bobdreamz]

I-95 in Miami already has this HOV / Lexus lanes so it was a matter of time before this would spread to the rest of the state. So much for a free Interstate system!

 

[I-275westcoastfl]

It still is free, you can risk sitting in traffic or pay to get out of it and still have it free. Besides up north entire interstates are tolled, at least this you get an option of paying to get out of congestion.

 

[Jasonhouse]

They will cannibalize existing lanes for this... FAIL

 

[HARTride 2012]

^^
Perhaps in some areas. But in others, I would think the lanes will be built in the median and the roadway would be able to be widened.

I-275 would be tough between Fowler & DT though, as well as through South St. Pete.

 

[I-275westcoastfl]

Yeah taking over existing lanes I don't agree with, as long as they maintain the current lanes for the most part I still support it.

 

[Jasonhouse]

Every last foot of toll lanes that would be put in place anywhere on I-275 will come at the direct expense of existing lanes in some places, and at the direct expense of future planned 'free' lanes everywhere else. Additionally, every last foot of toll lanes put in place on I-4 would sacrifice parts or all of the corridor down the median that was specificaly purchased and set aside for transit.

This scheme isn't about making regional expressways better than they are already planned to be with existing funding sources, this is about walking away from current plans and finding a way to pay for needed infrastructure with a new funding source, so that the current funding can vanish into corporate tax bribes FL politicians now regularly use in exchange for filling their campaign coffers.

 

[HARTride 2012]

^^
Oh but of course. And don't forget that the Heartland & Tampa Bay Beltways are back in the limelight thanks to the Scott admin. I won't be surprised if both roads get built in the next 15 years.

 

[HARTride 2012]

Managed Lanes are coming to I-4 in Orlando

Phase I of Tricky Rick's Toll Road Pipe Dream Begins........ :bash:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/new...ticles/cfn/2013/2/2/commuters_could_star.html

Governor Rick Scott has approved the Florida Department of Transportation’s plan to provide a facelift for Interstate-4 in Central Florida.
The upgrades involve “toll express lanes” that could cost some commuters to go up and down I-4.

To drive from State Road 434 to downtown Orlando could cost about $14 if you take the special lanes. The breakdown for drivers is 15-cents per mile. It’s going to cost more in the morning when people are going to work, but it would be less in the evening because of congestion times.

These numbers are from FDOT’s study that cost over $500,000.

The I-4 Ultimate Project will be a public/private partnership that will allow the FDOT to upgrade the highway from west of Kirkman Road in Orlando to east of State Road 434 in Longwood.

The project includes:
Rebuilding 15 major intersections
Building 56 new bridges
Replacing 68 bridges
Making modifications to 13 bridges

On top of fixing the infrastructure, FDOT will be able to add four express toll lanes to I-4. FDOT said these lanes are meant for distance, similar to the express lanes in South Florida. FDOT says the project will also include six general purpose lanes and two auxiliary lanes.

Once the funding is in place, construction should begin in 2015.

The project will cost $2.1 billion.

Officials have been debating for years how to come up with the cash to fix a main Central Florida artery that was designed back in the 1960's.

That's just a few years after the International Speedway was built in Volusia County and before Disney even started purchasing land further south to build Walt Disney World.

Amusement parks and attractions have definitely changed the landscape of our area, and state officials said it's time to bring I-4 into the 21st century.

 

[I-275westcoastfl]

To be fair these are popping up nationwide.

 

[gstolze]

So there is money to spend 2.1 Billion for HOV lanes but High Speed Rail was too expensive....? hno:hno:hno:

 

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

^^ I was thinking the exact same thing. :?