Overview
- At a Florida Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed exempting residents from tolls and charging out-of-state visitors instead.
- Florida Division of Bond Finance Director Ben Watkins responded to the governor’s suggestion by saying, “We’ll take a look at that.”
- DeSantis offered no details on how such a system would work, including pricing, legal framework, or a timeline for implementation.
- Toll collections fund maintenance, operations, and construction debt; the Turnpike reported nearly $1.4 billion in operating revenue last year, and some reporting cites about $2 billion collected annually statewide.
- Florida previously offered a 50% toll credit for frequent users, benefiting about 1.2 million residents and saving an estimated $470 million before the program expired in March 2025.