State Toys With Idea of Raising Toll Rate for I-95 Express Lanes

State officials are considering the idea of raising toll rates on I-95 from $1 to $1.50 due to the fact that too many drivers are willing to pay the current toll rate when congestion is at its worst on Florida highways.

"What that tells us is that a lot of folks are accepting the express lanes concept and are using them more frequently," Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, executive director of Florida's Turnpike, told Sun Sentinel.

The cost to take the express lanes is based on how crowded they are, with rates set every 15 minutes. Tolls can range from 25 cents to $7 to travel between State Road 112 and the Golden Glades interchange. If the proposed rates were adopted, it would ultimately cost $10.50 to travel the same distance, but only under heavily congested traffic conditions.

In addition to increasing the maximum rate, the Florida Department of Transportation alsowants to increase the minimum rate charged to drive the entire 7-mile stretch from 25 cents to 50 cents. Construction is underway to extend the lanes from the Golden Glades to Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, with an expected opening date in late 2014.