ORLANDO, Fla. – Some drivers feared they’d be paying as much as $21 for a one-way commute (seven segments) down I-4’s Express Lanes when the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) switched to Congestion Pricing in late February.
But have they?
Not even close.
FDOT started charging more for the toll lanes based on how busy the free lanes got.
But data from FDOT provided to News 6 showed the busy lanes never got that busy.
Communications Manager Tim Freed said the majority of drivers “haven’t seen any increase at this point.”
“We were not expecting tolls to rise significantly during this transition to dynamic tolling,” Freed said. “Toll amounts in some of the busier segments in downtown Orlando have increased slightly during peak hours (6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. weekdays), but as we expected based on the traffic data, the tolls have not risen significantly.”
- Based on the first three weeks of dynamic tolling leading up to spring break, the highest the toll has gone up is 75 cents (for reference, the baseline toll amount is 50 cents). During that three-week period, activations occurred an average of four days per week:
- Week 1 - 4 days
- Week 2 - 5 days
- Week 3 - 3 days
- Here’s a breakdown of the number of activations over the three weeks and where they took place (39 total activations):
- Eastbound at Rio Grande - 17 activations
- Westbound at Lee Road - nine activations
- Eastbound at Lee Road - eight activations
- Westbound at Lake Ivanhoe - five activations
- A.M. and P.M. peak periods experienced nearly the same number of activations during the three weeks:
- 20 activations in a.m. peak
- 19 activations in p.m. peak
Freed said there was a single instance last Tuesday when the overhead toll sign jumped to $1 per segment, but drivers were only charged 50 cents.
“On Tuesday, April 8, there was an instance where the signs read ‘$1’ due to congestion/density,” Freed said. “However, drivers were charged $0.50 since the travel speeds dropped below 40 mph - this is per Florida Statute. This posting was in the westbound direction in the a.m. peak hours and lasted about 30 minutes.”
Freed called Congestion Pricing a “well-established method to reduce congestion and maintain reliable travel times.”
“Using I-4 Express is always optional, and drivers can choose from the free general-use lanes or alternative routes to reach their destination,” Freed said. “The general-use lanes were greatly improved during the I-4 Ultimate project, as well.”
