Title: High-occupancy Toll Lanes and Express Lanes

Summary: Authorizes DOT to collect tolls on high-occupancy toll lanes/express lanes only for discharge of certain bond indebtedness on projects existing before specified date; requires tolls be eliminated after discharge of bond indebtedness; prohibits creation of high-occupancy toll lanes/express lanes on or after specified date; requires existing lanes to no longer be high-occupancy toll lanes/express lanes upon elimination of tolls; authorizes DOT to collect tolls on certain express lanes for discharge of certain bond indebtedness; prohibits express lanes on turnpike system.

Full Text:
An act relating to high-occupancy toll lanes and express lanes; amending s. 338.166, F.S.; specifying that the Department of Transportation may collect tolls on high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes only for the discharge of certain bond indebtedness on a project existing before a specified date; requiring that the tolls be eliminated after discharge of the project's bond indebtedness; prohibiting the creatio nof high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes on or after a specified date; requiring existing lanes to no longer be high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes upon elimination of their tolls; creating s. 338.2225, F.S.; providing purpose; authorizing th edepartment to collect a toll on certain express lanes for the discharge of certain bond indebtedness; requiring the elimination of the toll after discharge of the bond indebtedness; prohibiting express lanes from being on any part of the turnpike system; providing that certain existing lanes are no longer considered express lanes; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 338.166, Florida Statutes, is amended HB 2017 to read: 338.166 Termination of high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes.-(1) Under s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution, the department may request the Division of Bond Finance to issue bonds secured by toll revenues collected on high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes established on facilities owned by the department. However, (2) the department may continue to collect a the toll on the high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes only for after the discharge of any bond indebtedness related to a such project that existed before July 1, 2017.After the discharge of any bond indebtedness related to such project, the toll on the high occupancy toll lanes or express lanes must be eliminated All tolls so collected shall first be used to pay the annual cost of the oper ation, maintenance, and improvement of the high occupancy toll lanes or express lanes project or associated transportation system.(2)(3) High-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes may not be created on or after July 1, 2017. Upon elimination of the tolls on existing high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes pursuant to subsection (1), such existing lanes are no longer considered high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes Any remaining toll revenue from the high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes shal lbe used by the department for the HB 2017 construction, maintenance, or improvement of any road on the State Highway System within the county or counties in which the toll revenues were collected or to support express bus service on the facility where the toll revenues were collected.(3)(4) The department may implement variable rate tolls on high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes. (4)(5) Except for high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes, tolls may not be charged for use of an interstate highway where tolls were not charged as of July 1, 1997. (5)(6) This section does not apply to the turnpike system as defined under the Florida Turnpike Enterprise Law. Section 2. Section 338.2225, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 338.2225 Express lanes on any part of the turnpike system; prohibition.-(1) The purpose of this section is to eliminate all express lanes that exist or are under construction on any part of the Florida Turnpike System and to prohibit the creation of such express lanes. (2) The department may collect a toll on express lanes that existed or were under construction on any part of the turnpike system before July 1, 2017, but such collection may be only for the discharge of any bond indebtedness that relates to the expense of const ructing the express lanes. After the discharge of such bond indebtedness, the toll on the express HB 2017 lanes must be eliminated. (3) Except for express lanes that, before July 1, 2017, exist, or are under construction, on any part of the turnpike system, no express lanes shall be on any part of the turnpike system. Upon elimination of the tolls on express lanes pursuant to subsection (2), such existing lanes are no longer considered express lanes. Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.