RollBackTolls.com "A grassroots watchdog group for toll roads in South Florida."

Headline from 1999- ‘Mayor lobbies to Kill Toll Agency”

A trip back in time reveals that people knew MDX(Miami-Dade Expressway Authority) had potential to grow at an alarming rate.  This article from April, 1999 reveals that then Miami Dade mayor, Alex Penelas, tried to abolish MDX.

Read the full article here.

MDX has served it’s purpose to gain control of the five roads from FDOT(Florida Dept. of Transportation) that were neglected and in need of maintenance and expansion.  But today their mission of only roads and funding  those and future roads with tolls is limiting the counties need for a real long term transit solution.

The longer we allow agencies like MDX to only focus on roads and highways, the more prolonged the pain of not investing in a alternative transit solution will be.  It’s too easy for MDX’s top management and board of directors to continue on the same path of “roads baby roads”.   We need people that are willing to take on the difficult task of our long term transportation and transit sustainability.  And realize that there are alternatives to roads.  We need transit leadership that can think outside the toll lanes.

Carlos Garcia

Co-chair,

Roll Back Tolls

Westward Ho!  So desires MDX, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and it’s board of directors.   Project #83618, included in MDX’s five year work program would extend the 836 Dolphin Expressway further west to Krome Avenue and then south to the Tamiami Airport.    In our dealings with MDX we have heard many reasons justifying this project; it will alleviate congestion,  provide an evacuation route, yada, yada, yada.

The reality is that this project will promote more sprawl, further damage the already violated Everglades,  degrade our water supply, pose a direct threat to the $12 billion federal-state Everglades restoration project, threaten wildlife on and on and on.

You have to ask do we really need this? Well do we? No we don’t!  MDX and FDOT are pouring hundreds of millions of toll dollars into expanding capacity on their existing roads, Turnpike, 874, 836.   This is more than enough to handle present and future capacity needs without extending the 836 west and then south.  But the very mandate of MDX does not allow it to consider other viable forms of transportation.  This is a fundamental problem that has MDX’s day numbered.

But we have to remember the composition of the MDX board of directors; land developers, bankers, land use attorneys and lobbyist.   And they do what they do best.  Not usually what is best for the long term transportation needs of our community.

We must all stand up and oppose this project!  We encourage you to make your voices heard.  Please contact MDX representatives Teri Garcia  tgarcia@mdxway.com  or Mario Diaz at  madiaz@mdxway.com.

Check back with us often as we are taking a long term approach to this opposition and will be posting important information in the days to come.

Carlos Garcia

Co-chair, RollBackTolls.com

We recently heard from Ken, a tourist from Tennessee, that rented a car from Thrifty Rental Car and was charged $225.00 for toll “violations”. All because he declined to rent a Sun Pass toll transponder when he picked up his rental. Thrifty Rental Car refers to each trip under a toll gantry without a Sun Pass transponder a “violation” and charged Ken, $25.00 for each “violation”. The fact is that no official violation was ever issued by any tolling authority, law enforcement or state agency. Thrifty, along with other car rental companies, are allowed to charge this outrageously high “violation” fee because they can.

Apart from being totally wrong and unethical, this practice by Thrifty Rental Car leaves a bad taste in the mouths of tourist that come to our city to work or play.   Is this the kind of impression that we want to give?  I would say not!  After all South Florida and the state in general depends on tourist dollars as a major source of jobs and revenue.  Not to mention the financing of our shinny new Marlins Stadium.

Instead of finding ways to screw tourist shouldn’t all car rental companies be mandated to automatically  ”opt-in” on Sun Pass for all customers?  Some actually do like  Avis, Budget, National, Alamo and Enterprise.

But the shame not only falls on Thrifty Car Rental.  It is shared by Sun Pass, FDOT (Florida Dept. of Transportation) and MDX (Miami-Dade Expressway Authority), for allowing this to happen right under their noses.  These agencies conveniently look the other way and act helpless as businesses like Thrifty are allowed to rip-off tourist.  This is wrong and something should be done to mandate that all car rental agencies automatically include the Sun Pass transponder with every rental.

Carlos Garcia,

Co-chair, RollBackTolls.com

Here is a link to the Sun Pass site with regard to rental agencies and their policies.   https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

Here is a copy of the e-mail by Ken:

I just received a bill from them for the last rental. I went through tolls on this trip to the value of $3.75 total which was billed. However, they are charging me an administrative fee of $25.00 per toll. This totals $225.00 administrative fees as I went through 9 toll stations. Well, when there was a toll station I stopped but as you know there are many that have no stations. My largest fee was $0.75 and the smallest was $0.25.
As they indicated, when I rented this car I signed the agreement and must owe it. Being from Tennessee we have no toll roads so this is a shock.
Let’s see now…$225.00 plus $3.75 for the tolls, Thrifty has traded my business for $225.00.
When I go to the new rental location in Ft Lauderdale there are so many companies wanting my business that I can’t imagine that Thrifty would want to get rid of me for life for $225.00. However, I guess that they do.
I will fax this letter to you. I doubt they would pay attention to me. They have already charged my card and even put it on the wrong credit card when I went through the process of having it changed. Oh well, for $500.00 I have learned who my friends are. At this rate Hertz looks like a bargain.
Ken

This comes as no surprise to anyone. People are protesting by avoiding these overpriced toll roads. And well they should!

Even with the drop in drivers using the highway, MDX is still realizing increased revenue, up to 25% more.

We still maintain that MDX, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, should “Roll Back” toll rates because of this increase in revenue. Perhaps it would lure back some angry drivers that are avoiding their roads.

Back door Toll Rate Increase:
Additionally the board of directors should not every entertain the idea of increasing toll rates for a long time. Say for around 10 years or so sounds about right. They have 25% more revenue since closing the 874 and 878 with all electronic tolling. Please MDX, we don’t want to hear you cry poor. If anyone should, it’s the toll payers.

Carlos Garcia
Co-chair,
RollBackTolls

Click this link to read the story from the Kendall Gazette on Jan. 6th.
Local Newspaper, Articles, Stories and Events around Miami Florida

The Bridge to Woolbright
(London Square West)

Having attended the “Public Hearing” last week regarding the planned expansion of 874 over the turnpike and on to SW 128 Street to SW 137 Avenue, a few things became readily apparent:
1. This was not a public hearing as there were no public officials there.
2. There were no questions allowed during the ‘meat’ of the hearing, only comments for the record.
3. This hearing was but a formality. MDX wants to railroad this through with all due haste.
4. Six months ago, the estimated price tag regardless of which alternative route would have been selected was estimated by MDX at 60-90 million dollars. Today, the estimate has risen to 108 million dollars.
5. This roller coaster over the turnpike should not be built on either 128 Street or 136 Street. Either one would cause major impact on Pineland reserves. Green space in our midst for native animals and plants is a treasure. These reserves must be protected, restored and preserved.
6. London Square West is planned for inside the Tamiami Airport at the 128 Street entrance. Follow the money!
7. FDOT is spending an estimated 180 million dollars in 2013 on Kendall Turnpike Extension improvements. Let FDOT reconfigure the 120 Street exit to allow better traffic flow, eliminating the need for any MDX competitive solutions.
8. 137 Avenue is in gridlock now during rush hour. MDX, despite repeated questioning, has not answered how bringing dramatically increased traffic to 137 Avenue would benefit anyone but Woolbright.

We call on DERM to re-examine their decision and disallow construction on 128 Street or 136 Street. We call on the Vineland Church which is trying to buy Signature Gardens on 128 Street and whose property would be cut up and rendered useless to rally their 3,000 members to stand up to MDX and have their voices heard.

Miller Myers,
Co-chair,
RollBackTolls.com

It had always been my impression – and the stated element of the MDX five year plan – that the proposed ramps exiting the south end of the Don Shula Expressway were going to connect to SW 136th Street as part of the overall SR 836 southwestern extension – which made some kind of sense.

But now, apparently, the plan is to connect the ramps to SW 128th street, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

First of all, SW 128th Street effectively dead-ends at the entrance to Tamiami Airport at SW 137th avenue, and would require the additional expense to taxpayers of widening SW 128th Street to achieve this quick route to a dead end a few miles down the road – whereas SW 136th Street is already a four lane divided roadway from SW 122nd Avenue all the way west past the southern boundary of Tamiami Airport to SW 157th Avenue.

Second of all, the widening of SW 128th Street jeopardizes the environmentally sensitive Tamiami pinelands preserve on the north side of the street between SW 130th and 134th Avenues. Any attempt to infringe upon this preserve or subject it to additional stress resulting from increased automobile and truck emissions, sound and vibration will result in years of environmental legal warfare (to which I will be an enthusiastic party) that will stall a project that really does need to be undertaken – but eight blocks further south.

Third of all, if the object is to relieve congestion at the SW120th Street and SW 152nd Street interchanges of HEFT, what is the point of constructing a new exit a mere eight blocks to the south of 120th Street that will have almost no impact on the 152nd street interchange? Why create congestion on 137th Avenue between SW 136th Street and 128th Street, and especially on SW 136th Street as eastbound traffic from Country Walk and other local developments piles up waiting to turn left at the 137th Avenue intersection to go north and access eastbound SW 128th Street – and then reverses the congestion in the evening as westbound traffic queues up to turn left at the airport gate dead end to go south on 137th avenue thence to go west again on 136th Street? SW 137th Avenue is congested enough already without creating a new bottleneck there. You’re re-inventing the wheel here, and badly at that.

Finally, what sense does it make to connect this proposed exit to the Shula Expressway and not to HEFT as well if the object is to relieve congestion at the SW 120th and 152nd Street interchanges with the Turnpike? It may be that the Turnpike Authority has its own plans to link up with these ramps but nothing in your notification states that it does. Not to do so would be just plain stupid.

The original plan to extend the Shula ramps southward to connect with SW 136th Street made MUCH more sense. This new plan to connect to SW 128th Street just doesn’t do the job it’s meant to do on any level. There will be both taxpayer and environmental opposition to it and needless delay. Scrap it and go back to the original plan to connect to SW 136th Street.

Rick Wallach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Roll Back Tolls issues ‘SAFE’ report (Safety Assessment Findings Evaluation)  on the recently opened MDX(Miami-Dade Expressway Authority) redesign of Killian Parkway.  This report is in response to the MDX’ ITSA’ report.  The SAFE report offers strong recommendations and solutions to the Killian Parkway/107th avenue  re-configuration by MDX(Miami-Dade Expressway Authority).

Our Report: Safety Assessment Finding Evaluation (SAFE) report

MDX’s Report: MDX “ITSA”  Report on Killian Parkway

MDPD Report August 1-14 of 2005 – 2011: Exhibit “E” SAFE report

We are also including links(see below) of  video clip presentations from the MDX September meeting, including; Carlos Garcia ofRollBackTolls.com, Doug Kostowski, citizen and subsequent comments by MDX board members.

http://youtu.be/PPs7ZclhroM       (Citizen comments video link)      

http://youtu.be/XBRq5JKs9NY      (MDX board member comments video link)

Our goal is to help MDX prevent further accidents and injuries at this Killian Parkway re-configuration.

As always, we welcome public comments.

Miller Myers

Carlos Garcia

RollBackTolls.com

CLICK ABOVE IMAGE TO VIEW FULL REPORT

We attended the MDX(Miami-Dade Expressway Authority) board of directors meeting this past Tuesday, September 27th.  Doug Kostowski and yours truly, spoke before the board with our concerns and ideas to help MDX solve the many accidents that have occurred since they opened the redesigned intersection on August 1, 2011.

Of the 81 accidents that were reported by Miami Dade Police department in the 5 grids surrounding the intersection of Killian Parkway and 107th Avenue, MDX is only claiming 6 were caused by the new traffic patterns.  Specifically, only accidents that occured from drivers wanting to make a right turn from the far left west bound lane onto 107th North.

That’s not a typo folks, 6.  Only 6.  Thank goodness everything is OK!

Please feel free to read over the report and let us know your comments.

MDX “ITSA”  safety report on Killian Parkway

Exhibit “E” SAFE report

AFE report

Carlos Garcia

Co-chair,

RollBackTolls.com