Rant - Every time I can, I avoid the toll roads. This goes back years ago when I was stuck in bumper to bumper toll station traffic during rush hours. I used to think: "What am I paying for?"
Yesterday I got on 528 (Bee Line) and ended up paying the new, higher toll of $2.25!!! This was at the Beachline West Plaza near the Florida Mall area.
The Airport Plaza Toll Station is gone. They have combined the toll totals at the second toll plaza. I used to skip the Airport Plaza toll ($1.25) bypassing it by taking the frontage road. then get on the Beeline later, saving the $1.25.
Example: 15 years driving to and from Sea World, avoiding two Beeline tolls (at the time $1.00 each) each day saved me $984 a year or $14,760 in total!!!
I guess they figured out that thousands of drivers have been skipping that Airport Toll Station every day.
Sorry, Expressway Authority you're not winning this one. Never again . . .
Over the years, the thousands of dollars I've saved by going a few minutes out of my way have gone to more important things. Not to pay for their office building (are the upper floors even being used?) or fancy new toll stations.
$984 a year could buy a lot of rockets and engines.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on. I remember many years ago visiting Orlando/Disneyworld for the first time and renting a car. The Beeline seems to be expressly intended for the tourists going from the airport to their hotels. I wound up using the side roads, even though it took a few minutes longer. Had a great vacation though: Disneyworld, SeaWorld, & Cape Canaveral.
I always thought it was bad P.R. to welcome visitors and the first thing they have to do is pull out their wallets.
DeleteUm... $1.25 times 2 times 365 is $912.50... not $2400...
ReplyDeleteHi Rich,
DeleteYou're right, I double checked the math and used the older toll fee of $1.00 per booth. That's what happens when you are angry and messing with a calculator.