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

Here is the actual presentation that MDX used to announce the toll rate increases to board members.  Click the graphic below to view the full presentation.

MDX (Miami-Dade Expressway Authority) is starting to make public it’s plans to implement Open Road Tolling(ORT) on the 836 and 112 expressways.

At this meeting they will be discussing where the ORT gantries will be installed, toll rates and the public  information PR campaign.    Effectively, they will be implementing a similar system as they did on the 874 and 878 in Kendall.  Which means everyone will be paying to use these highways.

Everyone should be paying close attention to this plan as it will affect the majority of commuters in Miami-Dade.  Especially since the 836 is the major East West artery in the county and is the most heavily traveled road on MDX’s system.

We encourage everyone to attend this meeting that uses the 836 and 112 expressways.

The meeting will be Tuesday October 2, at 3 pm at MDX headquarters.

Miami-Dade Expressway Authority
Attention: Maria Luisa Navia Lobo
3790 N.W. 21st Street
Miami, Florida 33142
(305) 637-3277

Another classic example of how MDX (Miami-Dade Expressway) operates can be seen in their latest effort to build managed toll lanes (aka Lexus Lanes) along the South-Dade Busway.  MDX claims that this project is only in the “study” faze and that construction is not presently planned.  But don’t be fooled residents of Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay!  MDX is fully committed to moving forward with this project.

Three of the five phases MDX uses to begin a project have already been completed.

1. General Information (public statement on MDX website)

2. Public Kickoff Meeting (held Sept. 7 & 8, 2011)

3. Alternatives Public Workshop (tier 1 workshop held May 30, 2012)

4. Public Hearing (to be held)

5. Project Conclusion Summary (to be held)

A majority of Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay residents were not even aware of any public meetings that were held by MDX on this project.  And that is because MDX is only obligated by state law to directly inform residents within a 500 foot proximity to the proposed project.  And MDX does the absolute bare minimum to comply with this requirement.  I personally attended every meeting that MDX has held so far on this busway project.  In most cases less than 25 people from the public showed up.   And of those that showed up many did not ask questions to the MDX representatives.

We maintain that if MDX was made to put forth a stronger effort to inform the public via direct mail, radio, local TV ads, e-mail and text messaging to Sun Pass users, much more interested parties would attend and be involved.

Excerpt from Miami Herald article – Opposition Building to South Dade Expressway.

“We have had two regular meetings and we have notified everybody,” Garcia said. “So, I don’t know where they are getting this information.”

Attar said she found out about the project by sheer luck. She also said that practically no one in the area that she has talked to even knew there was a study.

“There was zero notice on this,” Attar said.

Should we the toll payers be funding such expensive eye candy?

Community Newspaper $8000 palms 6-2012 Our toll dollars sure can buy a lot of trees from Manuel Diaz Farms!  On the 874 in Kendall alone Miami-Dade Expressway Authority has “rubber stamped” another very expensive landscaping project.  To the tune of $3,000,000.00(Tree Million).  And of course every inch of land and space has been used by MD Farms to plant a tree, palm or bush.

While one can’t argue that the work does not look very nice, there are those South Florida toll payers that believe it is excessive.  Especially in a slow economy with many people out In fact take a look at the full cost details and make up your own mind.

Years have gone by since MDX first started talking about a customer reward program or discounts for frequent users or students.  And they have come up with zero.  We have asked them to consider rolling back toll rates since they are taking in 25% more revenue with Open Road Tolling.  Again, nothing but the same old lines about their indenture obligation with the bond holders.  I wonder if MDX’s bond rating by Fitch or Moody’s would be affected if they did not spend all the money they got from the bond sale?  Is that it? Or is some sort of backdoor deal going on here?  This is Miami.  Home of the kick back.

As a toll payer we would like to hear from you on this subject.  Do you agree that MDX needs to spend $3 million dollars on landscaping a single toll road?  Would you rather MDX put in more cost effective landscaping? Or would you prefer that MDX use the money to  pay down it’s debt obligation or fund a user discount program?  Or, do you feel this is a complete waste of money?  Please leave a comment below or post it on our Facebook page.

 Roll Back Tolls

This meeting did not go the way MDX wanted it to.

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