Florida`s Turnpike 50 Year Celebration

Florida Department of Transportation
605 Suwannee Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450
(850) 414-4590
www.myflorida.com
Florida Department of Transportation,
Turnpike Enterprise Headquarters
Milepost 263, Florida’s Turnpike
Turkey Lake Service Plaza
Building 5315
PO Box 613069
Ocoee, Florida 34761
(407) 532-3999
Toll Free: (800) 749-7453
www.FloridasTurnpike.com
04032 | PL | 07
Looking back to the 1940s, World War II had come to an end, the United
States had a new President, and the state of Florida was flourishing.
The state’s population had more than doubled over that of the previous
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decade, tourism was increasing, and the
citrus industry was recovering from a
harsh freeze early in the decade. Though
the growth in residents and visitors was
a good, healthy thing for the state, it
brought with it a problem – an over-burdened highway system. But
several things were working in favor of a solution to this problem.
First, the war had invigorated the state’s economy, and highway
construction was increasing in preparation for a post-war environment.
watched as the state’s population had grown and the roadways had become
increasingly congested. Costar had a vision to build a turnpike, similar to
the one he had just driven on while vacationing in Pennsylvania.
Finally, Governor Fuller Warren had just seen his 1949 Revised Citrus
Code passed through legislation. Established to provide strict guidelines
for quality production of citrus, the code included preliminary plans
for a turnpike. In order to assure quality, citrus needed to be delivered
promptly, which meant the transportation system must be efficient. An
Marking the route of Florida’s Turnpike,
May 28, 1956: Okeechobee cowboys use trucks
to stretch woven wire fence before nailing
it to poles placed in the ground.
efficient transportation system would also positively affect the Florida
Trucking Association (FTA), which was formed just 17 years prior, and
much like the Citrus Code, had been created, in part, to “encourage
high standards.” Governor Warren’s farm-to-market road network plan,
of which the Turnpike was part, would work toward alleviating the
overcrowded highway system and help citrus haulers and other delivery
truckers meet their schedules.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Also, during this time Florida businessman Charles B. Costar had
M
Much of the credit for the successful building of the Turnpike also goes
oving into the 1950s, President Truman authorized
the use of U.S. forces in Korea; the Soviet Union
to Thomas B. Manuel. Known as the “Father of the
launched the first space satellite, Sputnik 1; the
Turnpike,” Manuel was a former rancher turned Fort
U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark
Lauderdale county commissioner, and chairman of
Brown vs. Board of Education decision that racial segregation in schools
the Florida State Turnpike Authority from January
is unconstitutional; and the first
missile and first Space Satellite,
Explorer 1, were launched from
Cape Canaveral.
b
95 0 s — A T u r
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1955 to January 1961.
There were legislators in the 1950s with voting
Thomas B. manuel
power in the state capitol that were opposed to the creation of toll
roadways. Manuel sought to educate them, emphasizing the need for a
good highway system in a state that depended so heavily upon tourism.
That decade also marked the birth of Florida’s
Turnpike. In 1953, Charles B. Costar, following
During a 1955 legislative session many of those opposed to the Turnpike,
his vision from the previous decade, led a group of
toll road. The legislature
The U.S. space
Charles B. Costar
program launched
mainly small-county legislators, formed a “kill the ‘Pike’” coalition. In
response, Manuel set up headquarters in the Floridian Hotel near the
capitol and won over the legislators.
created the Florida State Turnpike Authority,
its first missile
which had the ability to plan, design, and
from Cape Canaveral
By the time the roll call was finished at the
construct bond-financed toll roads. The bonds
on July 24, 1950,
end of the session, only four votes against
were to be repaid through the collection of
and the first U.S.
the Turnpike were entered, and the legislature
tolls from Turnpike customers. Costar, as
satellite, Explorer I,
granted permission to build.
the owner of a major certified public accounting firm in South Florida,
was also instrumental in creating the bond financing that lead to the
creation of this “Florida Turnpike Act” legislation, which Governor Dan
McCarty signed into law on June 11, 1953. Costar had served as the
chairman of the early Turnpike Committee of the Miami-Dade Chamber
of Commerce, but once the Turnpike Authority was formed, Governor
McCarty appointed Earl P. Powers as the first Turnpike
Authority Chairman – a position he held
until McCarty’s death in September 1953.
on January 31, 1958.
In June 1955, a $74-million bond issue was
floated and construction on the Turnpike
began a month later. However, the Turnpike
Authority shelved their plans for a statelong Turnpike when Interstate 95 (I-95)
was slated to connect Jacksonville with the
rest of the state. This resulted in completion
of a “bob-tail” version of the superhighway
that ran from Miami to Fort Pierce.
Less than 19 months after Governor LeRoy Collins turned the first spade
of earth for the new Turnpike on July 4, 1955, and proclaimed, “We must
bring forth a highway that is fine and good in every detail – a highway
that is safe to ride and beautiful to see,” the Sunshine State Parkway
opened. The date was January 25, 1957.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
citizens to lobby state officials to create Florida’s first
orn
A New Way of Driving
Most Floridians had never driven on a turnpike before. They didn’t know
Th e n
what to expect. Local newspapers printed articles offering tips on how to
drive the Turnpike, warning drivers:
•Don’t do anything but
drive while you’re at the
wheel. Don’t look at maps,
toll tickets, or the scenery.
One article was titled, “How to
Drive on the Superhighway and
How to Drive Away From it Alive.”
Ads hawking tires for driving the
Turnpike offered advice on “How to
Handle 200 H.P. on the Turnpike.”
•Stay awake,
really awake.
West Palm Beach service plaza
•Don’t allow yourself to
become confused.
People were excited about the Turnpike. Omero C. Catan, aka
Mr. First, made it a point to be the first customer on the new
Sunshine State Parkway on opening day. He presented the Golden
Glades Interchange toll house his fare, two shiny dimes taped to
a card that read, “First toll paid on Florida Turnpike by Mr. First.
Now
May God bless it with a constant sunshine of success.”
For quite some time after it opened, the Turnpike was still a novelty. An
article in a trade journal warned in 1958, “When you embark upon
your first Turnpike trip, don’t forget to check your gas supply, and make
certain your tires are in good shape, for you will be
traveling faster and longer than on most other roads
in Florida.”
In fact, the occurrence of Turnpike customers
running out of gas was such a chronic problem
LAR
REGU
that Turnpike management adopted a policy
of providing two gallons of gasoline free
to stranded drivers. During the first year of
service, the Turnpike provided 1,919 gallons of
emergency fuel.
Th e n
Now
Now
T h en
Looking north on the
Turnpike in Broward
County. Broward
Boulevard is in the
foreground, with the
Sunrise Boulevard
Interchange near the
top of the page.
W
Th e n
As part of a growing Florida, this second section of the Sunshine State
here Now?
Parkway, constructed from Fort Pierce to Wildwood, and opened to
Two years may not have seemed like a long period of time to the
traffic in 1964, added another 157 miles of roadway. An engineering
public, but the Turnpike had accomplished a lot in that time. After only
department was established in 1961 to plan this extension and to assume
two full years of operation, $7 million in bonds had been retired, putting
responsibility for all maintenance and engineering on the existing system.
the Authority into its seventh year of scheduled amortization. The rest of
With new segments of I-75 opening as well, a continuous north-south
the state was struggling to find money for roads, but the Turnpike had its
route between Macon, Georgia, and Miami had become available.
Pompano Beach service plaza
own source of money – tolls and concession fees.
In January 1959 Governor LeRoy Collins announced that interstate
highways had killed the need for building the Florida Turnpike north
of Orlando. He instead turned his attention to what he believed was
an excellent chance for the toll road to be extended from Fort Pierce to
Now
there. Would traffic warrant a full Turnpike? Where would the second
phase of the Turnpike go? Would the Turnpike Authority be able to
finish the job?
The 1960s was a decade of diversity, a time
T h e 19 6 0 s — F l o r i d a ’ s
Phase I
I
of free love and open hatred. In that decade President John F. Kennedy
was both elected and assassinated, the United States unsuccessfully
Tu
ik
rnp
e
The Sunshine State Parkway
became known as Florida’s
Turnpike in April 1968.
attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow Premier Castro at the Bay
of Pigs, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Senator Robert F.
Kennedy was shot and died, and Apollo 11 successfully completed the
first manned spaceflight to the moon.
Also, with the emergence of the 1960s the state’s population had nearly
doubled to 4,951,560 and the Turnpike extension was needed more than
ever. Governor Collins approved the sale of over $80 million worth of
bonds to finance the extension from its current terminus in Fort Pierce
onward to Wildwood. To make this feasible, the route for Interstate 75
Officials of the Turnpike
(I-75) was shifted 6 miles eastward to tie in with the Turnpike.
Authority made the
name change for closer
identification to the state
and for less confusion.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Orlando. Thus, debates ensued on where the Turnpike would go from
Revenues were exceeding forecasts, and Florida’s public was embracing the
concept of limited-access toll roads as acceptable alternatives to interstates
Th e n
Here We Grow Again
In November 1963 Walt Disney first flew over the site that would later
and other highways. By 1967 revenue traffic on Florida’s Turnpike had
be the home of his Magic Kingdom in Central Florida. He chose the site,
exceeded 10 million trips; 7 million more than just 10 years prior.
on the border of Orange and Osceola counties, because of its proximity to
service plazas
The Florida State Turnpike
the intersection of Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 4 (I-4).
Authority, which served
New developments in Central Florida, like Walt Disney World, and
the state from 1953 until
increased use of existing transportation facilities generated a need for an
1969, left a legacy of
extension of the Bee Line Connector. A plan had also been developed to
progress. In addition to
expand the connector from its existing western terminus on State Road
the construction of the
528 (SR 528) near McCoy Air Force Base (later renamed the Orlando
first 267 miles of Florida’s
International Airport), westward 8 miles to connect with Florida’s
Turnpike Mainline, these
Turnpike and I-4.
•Retirement of $13,429,000 in
Groundbreaking for the Fort Pierce-to-Wildwood Extension
Now
Even in the early days, conservative fiscal practices characterized the
Authority to perform engineering studies to determine the feasibility of
more than 15 years ahead in
both the previously mentioned West Dade Expressway, which became
•Institution of an advertising
known as the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (HEFT), and
program, helping to
the Bee Line West Expressway, now known as the Beachline West
increase traffic 56 percent.
Expressway. Both of these projects were financed as extensions of Florida’s
•Construction of aid-to-thehandicapped facilities at
Turnpike Authority, which was organized to run much like a private
Turnpike by revenue bond issues.
service plazas.
•Addition of paved shoulder
On July 1, 1969, Chapter 69-106, Laws of Florida, Acts of 1969
and median guardrails.
of-way costs for the extension to Wildwood. But the continuing increase
•
created the state of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The
Opening of tandem trailer
original Turnpike Authority was disbanded, and a newly reorganized
in toll revenue, combined with the Authority’s fiscal policies, offset
•
business. As the Central Florida region began to develop and property
values increased, the Authority experienced higher than expected right10
bonds, placing the Authority
amortization.
Quality as a Part of Business Practice
In 1967 Florida’s legislature authorized the Florida State Turnpike
these costs. Still, the commitment to maintaining a strict budget did
not overshadow the Authority’s goal of providing a quality product to
its customers. In 1962 , the Authority established its own testing lab to
assure quality control for construction.
As population growth continued to strain the capacity of the state’s
highway system, preliminary studies began for expanding portions
of the Turnpike to six lanes in South Florida and for much-needed
additional north-south capacity in that area. Dade County and the
State Road Department developed a plan for a West Dade Expressway.
operations.
Implementation of a smoothrunning operation that is
managed like a business.
Florida’s Turnpike operation was made a part of the FDOT. Under the
new organization, the Turnpike work program and its operations and
maintenance were managed by the individual FDOT Districts.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
accomplishments include:
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T
he 1970s was a decade of change. In October 1971 Disney’s Magic
Kingdom welcomed its first visitors; Sea World of Florida opened
in 1973; Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United
States on August 8, 1974; NASA announced the end of the Apollo space
program on July 14, 1975, resulting in the
layoff of 1,500 employees at the Kennedy Space
Center; the Vietnam War officially ended on
April 30, 1975; and an international oil crisis
T h e 19 7 0 s — F l o r i d a
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A magica
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l place
was under way. Despite the chaotic times, Florida’s population grew to
6,791,418 and the state’s tourism industry was booming.
The Space Coast continued to be a popular tourist destination, increasing
the need for the construction of the Bee Line West Expressway, which
space program, the new connector linked I-4 to Cape Canaveral and
provided a straight shot for tourists, media, and others who continued to
flock to Cape Canaveral and Florida’s East Coast.
In 1974 the 47-mile-long HEFT opened to the public. This section of
the first Turnpike project to be
built with the help of partners.
Of the 342 acres of land
the Turnpike begins at the interchange with the existing Mainline near
required for the construction
the Dade County/Broward County line, turns westward and southward,
294 of them were donated by
of the Bee Line West Expressway,
and terminates at Florida City in southern Dade County. Construction
the Florida Land Company and
of the HEFT also included construction of three Mainline toll plazas,
The Florida Land Company also
the addition of a service plaza and Florida Highway Patrol Troop K
12
The Bee Line West Expressway was
administration facilities at Snapper Creek, and the building of three parkand-ride facilities.
HEFT interchange
Martin-Marietta Corporation.
paid the cost of the Orangewood
Boulevard interchange.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
fully opened on December 15, 1973. And despite some downturn in the
13
A
s the 1980s began, another 3 million people called
themselves Floridians, the first Space Shuttle was launched
from Cape Canaveral, 30 percent of Florida citrus was lost
to a crop-killing freeze and citrus canker, and a new tourist attraction,
Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, opened as tourism flourished.
98 0 s — p r e
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e
pa
Th
more ring for
Grow th
By 1986, most of
the Turnpike’s original bonds, including
the Series 1961 and 1970, were retired, and Florida’s Turnpike was at a
crossroads. Would maintaining the status quo be the Turnpike’s primary
responsibility, or would Florida use the bonding capacity of the system to
finance new Florida Intrastate Highway projects?
Commission, led by Chairman David C.G. Kerr, a
study to explore the role of Florida’s Turnpike in
David C.G. Kerr
addressing the state’s mobility challenges was completed in 1987. FDOT
Secretary Thomas E. Drawdy had submitted recommendations about the
Turnpike’s future role to Florida’s legislature. These recommendations
were reevaluated and presented by FDOT Secretary Kaye Henderson to the
legislature in 1987 in a study called The Future of Florida’s Turnpike.
Alternative scenarios were presented, but the recommended plan for the
Turnpike was an aggressive program based on four main objectives:
14
•Alleviate urban congestion.
•Address the specific needs of Turnpike
customers while providing value in
exchange for the toll they pay.
•Expand the system.
•Coordinate with local governments and
other expressway authorities.
A financing plan for major system improvements and expansion was
approved, and in 1988 the legislature created the Office of Florida’s Turnpike
within FDOT, granting greater management discretion and flexibility.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
At the direction of the state’s newly formed Transportation
15
Also included in this plan was a well-defined organizational plan, with
private sector staff making up the majority of the personnel.
It was the beginning of the state’s most dynamic period of highway
improvement and construction, as from this point forward the Turnpike
became known for its commitment to modernization, expansion,
and technology.
Under the authority of FDOT Secretary Ben G. Watts and Turnpike Director
James L. Ely, both newly appointed, $220 million in Turnpike revenue
Ben G. Watts
bonds were sold in April 1989 to help fund service
plaza renovations, safety enhancements, toll facility
modernization, and system upgrades that involved
roadway widenings and new or improved interchanges.
sale of an additional $800 million in Turnpike revenue
bonds was authorized to fund new projects.
One of the first priorities of the new organization was
to speed up toll transactions. A program to completely
James L. Ely
rehabilitate all of the Mainline toll plazas – some of
which still had their original 1957 equipment – quickly got under way
to increase capacity and throughput. Looking into the future, the Office
of Florida’s Turnpike also began strategizing for the implementation
of electronic toll collection and investigating issues like legislative
16
authorization of video enforcement technology.
Th e n
Now
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
A three-stage toll rate increase was planned, and the
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T
he 1990s brought major milestones to Florida and the world.
On August 24, 1992, one of Florida’s worst hurricanes ever,
Hurricane Andrew, ripped through South Florida, destroying
parts of Homestead, killing 18 people, and leaving thousands homeless or
without water and power. In March 1995 Florida celebrated 150 years of
statehood. And on December 31, 1999, the world
T h e 19 9 0 s — b l a
about potential Y2K computer problems.
stof
and exp
f
an
s
The 1990s was also the decade that the Turnpike invested in several
ion
welcomed in a new millennium while worrying
new alignment projects as a part of alleviating urban congestion. Nine
t
to grow
h
SR 50 interchange Groundbreaking
Polk Parkway Groundbreaking
and ribbon Cutting Ceremony
new interchanges opened on the Turnpike Mainline and many miles of
widening projects and other roadway, toll, and service plaza improvements
Senate Bill 1316 was signed into law by Governor Bob Martinez in June
1990, officially authorizing the major expansion of Florida’s Turnpike
system. With an increased bonding capacity of $1.1 billion, the Office
of Florida’s Turnpike began studying the development of 9
candidate expansion projects and 15 new interchanges, subject
to newly mandated environmental and financial feasibility
tests. And under Governor Lawton Chiles, the 23-mile-long
Sawgrass Expressway/State Road 869 (SR 869), originally
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constructed by the Broward County Expressway Authority,
By July 1991 four new interchanges were opened, and planning and
was purchased by Florida’s Turnpike in 1990 as part of
construction of new system access were well under way at 11 other
an expansion program to meet the needs of an increasing
locations. Florida’s Turnpike Director James Ely’s delivery of such an
population and tourism trade.
Purchase of the Sawgrass Expressway
The Sawgrass Expressway’s
aggressive program was considered especially crucial, considering that
FDOT Secretary Watts’ primary concerns included the department’s
The 1990 Florida’s Turnpike work program included the letting of almost
mascot, a swamp frog
$90 million in new interchanges, roadway, and safety improvements.
named Cecil B. Sawgrass, is
In January 1991, $337 million in Turnpike revenue bonds were sold
a rare find these days, as
to finance right-of-way acquisition and construction of the Seminole
signs featuring his smiling
By July 1992 the Florida’s Turnpike expansion program was moving full
Expressway, Project 1 – the northern leg of SR 417 in Central Florida
green face are
speed ahead. In addition to the construction of the Seminole Expressway,
– and right-of-way acquisition for the Veterans Expressway near Tampa.
replaced with the
Project 1, and the Veterans Expressway, final design of the Southern
These projects represented the first steps toward expanding the Turnpike
more standard
Connector Extension portion of SR 417 and the Polk Parkway in Lakeland
system in nearly 20 years.
TOLL 869 shields.
were under way. Both of these roadways underwent and subsequently
credibility, public perception, and one year later, “right-sizing” the agency
according to a directive from Governor Chiles.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Suncoast Parkway Groundbreaking
were added.
19
passed their final tests of financial feasibility during fiscal year (FY)
1994. Made possible through an agreement with Osceola County
and a group of local landowners, the Southern Connector Extension
represented one of the largest public/private sector partnerships in the
nation at the time.
In this same decade, Florida’s Turnpike introduced an innovative pre-
Florida’s Turnpike’s
paid
saving
and ability to respond
money, and the hassle
transportation needs were
Signifying a major leap
tested when Hurricane
forward in the modern-
Andrew hit South Florida
ization of the state’s
in August 1992. The
toll collection systems,
Turnpike played a key role
the 1993 legislature
in supporting emergency
authorized the Turnpike to begin development of SunPass®, the new
response efforts and
statewide system of electronic toll collection. By the end of FY1997, a
administering a total of $6
$39-million contract was awarded for the implementation of SunPass,
million in cleanup/repair
which ultimately occurred on April 24, 1999. SunPass lanes can process
contracts, most of which
up to 1,800 vehicles per hour — 300 percent more than a manual toll
were under way within only
lane, and more than 450 lanes of SunPass equipment were installed
a few days after the storm.
at 160 toll plazas statewide. SunPass transponders were initially made
Despite having suffered an
available for purchase through Florida’s Turnpike service plazas and the
estimated $10.7 million
SunPass website.
on course toward the
opening of its first two
expansion projects and the
implementation of system-
Project 1, opened in 1994.
time,
of digging for change.
the Turnpike continued
part of the Seminole Expressway,
drivers
to the state’s unique
of Hurricane Andrew,
bridges spanning Lake Jesup are
program,
organizational strength
in damages as a result
These award-winning, 1.7-mile
toll
wide toll facilities upgrades
and access- and capacityrelated improvements.
Veterans Expressway
FY1993 also brought significant progress on the development of 19
new interchanges and five of the nine legislatively approved candidate
expansion projects. The success of the Turnpike’s work program under
Senate Bill 1316 became evident in 1994 when the opening of the
Seminole Expressway, Project 1, and the Veterans Expressway added
27 miles of new alignment to the Florida Intrastate Highway System
(FIHS). At the same time, work was also in progress on another 79
miles of new expressway to be opened by 2005.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
20
The Office of
21
A Profitable System
The ability of the Office of Florida’s Turnpike to fulfill legislative
Maintaining the momentum, the Turnpike District broke ground for the
initiatives, and the system’s financial stability and overall importance to
Polk Parkway and opened the Southern Connector Extension in FY1996.
mobility within the state, brought about the Office of Florida’s Turnpike’s
Together, these new roadways would contribute more than 30 miles to
designation as FDOT’s eighth district by the 1994 legislature.
the FIHS. Construction was well under way on $55 million in Turnpike
This change in status granted the Turnpike greater leeway in
Mainline improvements and $185 million in system expansion.
managing a system that had doubled its total operating revenues
since 1988. By August 1995 nearly $1.1 billion in Turnpike
revenue bonds had been sold to finance the Turnpike District’s
improvement and expansion programs, and more than $80 million
in toll facilities and interchange improvements were completed.
22
Bird Road Mainline Toll Plaza with dedicated SunPass Lanes
23
In June 1996 Florida’s Turnpike hosted an open forum with many of
the nation’s most highly respected transportation professionals, where
valuable experience was shared and used to predict future challenges for
the Turnpike.
The results of this forum were considered in a second futures study, which
was presented on the 40th anniversary of the Turnpike, January 25, 1997,
by FDOT Secretary Ben Watts, to Malcom Kirschenbaum, Chairman of
the Florida Transportation Commission. The Florida’s Turnpike: Building
on the Past - Preparing for the Future report helped legislators determine
the role that Florida’s Turnpike would play in the state’s transportation
system beyond 2000.
The Transportation Commission and FDOT fully endorsed maximizing
the ability for the Turnpike District and the state of Florida to:
•Deploy electronic toll collection statewide.
•Retain the statutory economic feasibility
tests for new projects, but apply fifth-year
revenues and test only the bonded portion
of the project.
•Allow advance right-of-way acquisition to
reduce costs and impacts as is done in other
FDOT districts.
•Relocate the Turnpike headquarters.
24
Following a move from Broward County to
Leon County in 1988, a second move in the
year 2000, to Orange County, would allow
the Turnpike to reduce program management
costs and better serve customers.
•Improve access and capacity on the Turnpike
in urban areas of the state.
Southern Connector Extension Grand Opening
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
the potential of the Turnpike and, through Senate Bill 2060, provided
25
T h en
Located in Broward County
...Still Growing...
With its expanding mission and under the leadership of newly appointed
Secretary of Transportation, Thomas F. Barry, Jr., the Turnpike District
continued the momentum that characterized its work program of the
1990s. In July 1998 construction began on the 42-mile Suncoast
Parkway, Project 1 on Florida’s West Coast. And then, the $265-million
Seminole Expressway, Project 2 broke ground in October 1999, funded
through a combination of Turnpike District funds, State Transportation
Trust Funds, and Federal State Infrastructure Bank loans.
On the west side of metropolitan Orlando, the Western Beltway (SR
429), Part C became a reality and design began through a partnership
Western Beltway (SR 429), Part C
involving the Turnpike District, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway
Authority, Reedy Creek Improvement District, Walt Disney World, and
private landowner Horizons West. The project connects I-4 to Florida’s
Turnpike and the Western Beltway, Part A.
p
000s — A cu
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r
e
u
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rent
Th
As the 20th century ended and the 21st century was born, the country
ike
Turnpike Headquarters
Now
Located in Orange County
lived through one of its closest-ever presidential elections, Florida’s
26
population hit an all-time high of nearly 16 million, and federal
legislation to help restore the Everglades was signed into law.
On April 11, 2002, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed House Bill 261,
changing Florida’s Turnpike District into Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.
Considered a unique experiment in governance at the time, this was an
important change for several reasons. It allows the FDOT to leverage the
financial capabilities of the state’s largest revenue-producing asset. And
it also allows the Enterprise to implement private-sector best business
practices, resulting in: improved cost effectiveness, timely project delivery,
increased revenue, improved customer service, and expanded Turnpike
capital program capability.
27
Turnpike Awards
Florida’s Turnpike has
The success of the retail sales
won many prominent
program was validated by the
awards over the years. The
Turnpike’s receipt of the IBTTA’s
following is just a sampling
2004 Toll Excellence Award in
of these honors.
the area of Customer Service.
International Bridge,
And in 2005 the
Tunnel and Turnpike
Turnpike’s Call Center
Association’s (IBTTA’s)
was recognized by J.D.
most prestigious award,
Power and Associates
the President’s Award,
for customer service
given to the best example
excellence – one
of excellence among toll
of only two call
agencies worldwide, and
centers worldwide to score
IBTTA’s Toll Excellence
in the 90th percentile.
Award, in the category of
Social Responsibility, were
both awarded in 2003 to
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise
for the Suncoast Parkway
Aesthetic Design Guidelines.
28
29
The 41-mile-long Suncoast Trail, constructed by Florida’s Turnpike as part of the
Suncoast Parkway, complements the region’s natural environment. also, the Suncoast
parkway was the first toll road designated as a Florida Scenic Highway.
With the House Bill 261 legislation, toll operations were incorporated
SunPass Challenge
as part of the Enterprise’s domain, expanding the Enterprise’s
While there are many changes planned for the Turnpike’s future, to
responsibilities, and making Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise the second
date, the SunPass electronic toll collection program, implemented in
largest toll agency in the country based on revenue, and the third largest
April 1999, has been the most significant change to the Florida’s
Turnpike system in the past 50 years. SunPass streamlines and
based on miles of roadway.
simplifies the toll collection process for Turnpike customers
And now, in the last half of the first decade of the 2000s, Florida’s
by helping to significantly improve throughput at toll plazas.
Turnpike and its extensions take motorists from the top of the Florida
By fall of 2006, 2.8 million SunPass transponders had been
Keys up to I-75 north of Orlando in North Central Florida and include
issued, and more than 60 percent of all transactions were through
projects near Tampa, Orlando, and Lakeland. This includes the Homestead
the SunPass system.
Extension, the Sawgrass Expressway, the Seminole Expressway, the Veterans
Officially launched on
Expressway, the Suncoast Parkway, a section of the Beachline Expressway,
April 24, 1999, more
than 100,000 SunPass
the Southern Connector Extension of the Central Florida GreeneWay,
transponders had been
sold by October 1 of
that same year.
to keep goods and people moving in support of a healthy state is more
Recent
million into SunPass over a two-year span, the Turnpike Enterprise set
usage system wide, increasing the number of SunPass-only lanes from
s
ject
100 to 200, and doubling the percentage of SunPass transactions from
25 percent to 50 percent by December 2004. Signing and operational
improvements were also implemented and the Turnpike marketed the
benefits of SunPass. This initiative was titled the SunPass Challenge.
Seminole Expressway, Project 2, SR 417
30
rapidly in order to expedite its benefits. Programming an infusion of $98
the goals of making necessary improvements to support higher SunPass
prominent than ever.
Pro
itself to find ways to increase SunPass usage across the system more
The $265-million Seminole Expressway, Project 2 broke ground in
The SunPass Challenge initiative to drive SunPass participation on the
October 1999, and opened to traffic in September 2002. This new
Turnpike system to 50 percent by December 2004 was achieved in April
facility extends SR 417 in Central Florida to I-4.
Seminole Expressway, Project 2
2004, eight months ahead of schedule.
With the SunPass Challenge largely met, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise
The Daniel Webster Western Beltway - Part C, SR 429
set a new target: 75 percent of all transactions processed electronically by
This new 11-mile, $313-million, limited-access toll road provides an
December 2008. A review of current and long-range strategies, as well as
alternate north-south route between Florida’s Turnpike and I-4. Located
2008 SunPass traffic projections, resulted in a series of recommendations
west of Orlando near the Disney/Celebration attractions corridor, the
that will increase the use of SunPass to help meet this goal.
Western Beltway also provides easy access to Toll 417 (the Central
Florida GreeneWay). Full interchanges are located at I-4, Sinclair Road,
US 192, and Western Way, and a full interchange is planned at Seidel
Road. The final leg of the Western Beltway, Part C opened to traffic on
December 9, 2006.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
and the Polk Parkway. But the need to expand the transportation system
Soon after becoming an Enterprise, the Turnpike organization challenged
31
Marketing strategies have been creative, varied, and critical to the success
These recommendations include:
•Business partnerships with airports
to promote the use of SunPass as an
efficient means of paying for airport
parking.
•Additional retail locations for SunPass
transponder sales.
3.00
2.53
1.99
1.47
1.5
.90
•Lower-cost transponders.
2.0
1.0
0.5
0
.66
32
heavily congested Turnpike Mainline
toll locations.
2.5
.42
•Open road tolling facilities at
3.0
.21
interchanges and conversions of
existing interchanges.
of SunPass: Eye-catching billboards tout the good life of the SunPass user;
Sunpass Transponders
(in millions)
.05
•SunPass-only interchanges, both new
99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
Year
a Burma-Shave-style ad campaign, using a series of signs along one-mile
stretches of roadway, convey humorous and memorable messages; car wraps
reflecting the popular Florida’s Turnpike toll collector shirt design
turn work vehicles into traveling billboards; agreements with CVS
Corporation and Publix Supermarkets place SunPass transponders
at more than 1,000 retail locations statewide; SunPassages, the
Turnpike Enterprise’s SunPass customer newsletter, provides a steady
stream of information to customers; radio spots run at various key times
on top-rated stations; 30-second customer testimonials appear on TV;
and Sunny SunPass, the Turnpike’s mascot, promotes SunPass through
his vibrant presence. Each of these marketing avenues has proven to be
very successful in increasing SunPass transponder sales.
33
tegies
a
r
t
S
g
n
i
t
M arke
ITS Improvements
In addition to SunPass, there are several other important traffic
management projects under way.
The Turnpike is an active participant in SunGuideSM, Florida’s intelligent
transportation system. The goal of SunGuide is to give motorists precise
and current information about traffic conditions. Participating agencies
are in various stages of developing technologies for use in South Florida.
The Turnpike now has two operational Traffic Management Centers
(TMCs) from which SunGuide technologies are deployed. Both the
Turkey Lake Operations Center, located on the Turnpike Headquarters
campus, and the Pompano Operations Center are operated by Turnpike
personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Mainline. These fiber-optic displays were installed on structures spanning
the Turnpike and are linked to the Pompano and Turkey Lake TMCs. The
signs are used to inform Turnpike customers of downstream roadway
conditions and are supplemented by nine highway advisory radios, which
transmit voice messages through the 1640 AM radio frequency.
The Turnpike also substantially completed the SunNavSM Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) Phase 2 Fiber Project in FY2006. This
design-build project included the installation of 80 miles of fiber-optic
cable and 85 pan-tilt-zoom closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on
34
the Turnpike Mainline from Boca Raton to Fort Pierce.
The completion of the communications backbone extension of the fiber from
Fort Pierce to Wildwood in
2007 will connect the ITS
components
to
the
two
Since its inception in 2003, the Turnpike’s marketing effort
Turnpike TMCs and provide a link to the Turnpike’s operational part-
has included a variety of strategies, including billboards
ners. This infrastructure will accommodate vehicle detection systems
along the roadway and posters at toll plazas.
and cameras every mile of the Turnpike Mainline.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
The Turnpike installed 19 dynamic message signs along the Turnpike
35
Mailnline Safety Program
Over the years, Florida’s Turnpike has been a leader in implementing
programs that promote safe travel. In FY2005, recognizing that increases
in traffic mean a greater potential for crossover accidents, Florida’s
Turnpike Enterprise implemented a life-saving initiative to install median
guardrails to protect the entire length of the Turnpike Mainline. The
Turnpike Enterprise adjusted its annual Work Program to allocate the
$75 million necessary to expedite completion of the Median Guardrail
Program. A team of Turnpike Enterprise staff, six consultant firms, and
five contractors completed the design and installation of 187 miles of
guardrail in nine counties in only 15 months – 3 months earlier than
originally planned.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Responding to Crisis
Based on valuable experience
gained from hurricanes that
damaged areas through
which the Turnpike passes,
the Turnpike Enterprise has
now completed emergency
traffic routing plans for
each service plaza on the
Turnpike system, including
36
both regular traffic flow
and contraflow operations.
In addition, the Turnpike
Enterprise has established
emergency “strike teams” –
employees who volunteer to
assist at service plazas during
emergency situations.
ST
A
Sa TE
fet FA
y P RM
at
ro
l
Rendering of Turnpike contraflow for emergency evacuations
37
Completion of the barrier protection systems in FY2005 is already paying
safety dividends. Crash data compiled by Turnpike Traffic Operations
confirms a nearly 70-percent reduction in crossover accidents as a result of
the installation of median guardrails. And as the next step towards safety,
in FY2006 the Turnpike began implementing a Canal Protection Plan.
The guardrail installation project is the cornerstone of the Turnpike’s FivePoint Mainline Safety Program, which also includes: public awareness,
In Support of the Mainline
construction zones and wearing safety belts; holiday safety breaks,
Safety Program, the
providing free coffee to holiday travelers at the 24-hour plaza restaurants
Turnpike Safety Break
on the busiest travel days of the year; expanded law enforcement presence,
Program provides free coffee
including 15 new Troop K Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) investigation
to holiday
officers; and incident management, designed to help reduce the time
travelers at the
involved in restoring travel lanes back to service after an accident.
24-hour plaza
restaurants on
the busiest travel
38
days of the year. Customers
have to agree to use their
safety belts to receive their
free coffee.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
educating motorists on the importance of traveling safely through
39
Interchanges and Widenings
Towards the goal of keeping goods and people moving in Florida by
providing interchange access and alleviating traffic where necessary,
there are several new interchanges and widenings on the Turnpike.
Current widenings are located throughout South and Central Florida,
and the following highlights a sampling of new interchanges.
State Road 710 Interchange - This new interchange in Palm
Beach County opened in FY2006 and helps relieve traffic congestion
at adjacent interchanges. This was the first fully SunPass-only
interchange, setting the precedent for future interchanges.
SR 710 interchange in Palm Beach county
project includes construction of a SunPass-only northbound on-ramp
and a SunPass-only southbound off-ramp at Kissimmee Park Road
near its intersection with Old Canoe Creek Road. Included in the
project are the reconstruction of the Kissimmee Park Road Bridge over
the Turnpike, and the reconstruction of Kissimmee Park Road.
Jog Road Interchange – Construction of a partial interchange
at Jog Road in Palm Beach County, just north of Southern Boulevard,
40
consists of SunPass-only ramps to and from the south only, and
includes bridge-widening work, signs and pavement markings,
lighting, signalization, and landscaping.
At a cost of approximately $12.8 million, the interchange will
increase access to Florida’s Turnpike and reduce traffic congestion at
Jog Road interchange under construction
Okeechobee Boulevard.
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Interchange at Kissimmee Park Road – This $18.9-million
41
Pompano Beach Service Plaza, Broward County
T h en
42
Now
43
Then
Northwest 74th Street Interchange and Okeechobee
Now
Future
Mainline Toll Plaza Conversion – A new Turnpike interchange,
with an approximate cost of $63.4 million, will be constructed at Northwest
74th Street in conjunction with the conversion of the Okeechobee Mainline
toll plaza into a SunPass open road tolling plaza.
The toll plaza conversion will allow motorists with SunPass to travel at
highway speeds while their tolls are collected via SunPass equipment
overhead, alleviating the need for gates, tollbooths, and slowing down.
Cash-paying motorists will need to pull off the highway onto ramps
Then, Now, and Future – The Golden Glades Interchange in Miami,
with traditional tollbooths and then merge back onto the travel lanes.
the southern-most entry point to the Turnpike Mainline, will
offer drivers the option of open road tolling. The Golden Glades
toll plazas on the northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps.
Toll Plaza is shown in the two photographs. The future Golden
Motorists entering the northbound Turnpike and southbound motorists
Glades Plaza is shown in the rendering.
exiting the Turnpike at Northwest 74th Street will have the option to pay
cash at the Okeechobee Mainline toll plaza.
Mainline widening in Palm Beach county
Converting to Open Road Tolling
The Turnpike’s Toll System Replacement Project is a multiyear effort
under way to bring new or substantially upgraded in-lane hardware and
software, plaza hardware and software, and transaction host hardware
and software to the Florida’s Turnpike system. Lane- and host-level
systems will provide open road tolling capability as well as automated
cash collection to reduce operating costs.
44
During FY2006, the Turnpike Enterprise acquired The Sunshine
Speedway, a quarter-mile track located north of St. Petersburg. The new
Toll Equipment Test Track, opened in April 2006, allows the Turnpike’s
Toll Systems Engineering group to test and monitor toll equipment
configured for conventional and open road tolling lanes, with the
ultimate goal of helping to provide safe and convenient road travel for the
millions of customers using Florida’s toll roads.
In July 2006, the reversible expressway on the Tampa-Hillsborough
Expressway Authority’s (THEA’s) Selmon Crosstown Expressway opened for
traffic. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise operates the toll collection for THEA.
Turnpike Mainline widening at the Beachline West Expressway
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
The new interchange at Northwest 74th Street will have SunPass-only
45
Opened in July 2006, THEA’s Selmon Crosstown
Expressway has a three-lane open road tolling
location that tolls SunPass traffic westbound
during the morning rush hour, and in the
eastbound direction when the road reverses
for evening rush hour. This is the first
reversible open road tolling gantry in the
United States.
46
47
The toll system replacement project can be directly linked to several
Enterprise strategies and performance measures. Most notably, it supports
the Turnpike’s 75-percent electronic toll collection participation goal and
its ongoing efforts to provide innovative customer service. Performance
measures related to the rating for toll operations, cost per transaction,
This reversible, three-lane, open road tolling location tolls SunPass traffic
Value for your Tolls
and toll collection efficiency are also directly impacted. The expected
westbound during the morning rush hour and in the eastbound direction
When the Florida
toll system replacement will provide expanded in-lane customer services,
when the road reverses for evening rush hour. The Turnpike Enterprise and
Legislature named Florida’s
increase back-office efficiency and reporting, and support the Turnpike
its contractors worked to advance the open road tolling design, creating a
Turnpike an “Enterprise” in
Enterprise’s open road tolling initiatives, while maximizing investment
time-synced, network-based, redundant toll collection system.
2002, the Turnpike began
return and toll collection efficiency.
All Florida’s Turnpike system Mainline plazas are being converted to
provide open road tolling. In support of this, the Turnpike Enterprise has
functional. New interchanges on the Turnpike system will support
SunPass-only tolling. This will lower construction costs and improve the
operational efficiency of toll collection.
model to better serve the
mobility needs of the state
and provide greater value
for the tolls paid by
Turnpike customers. In fact:
•Toll rates have increased few
times over the years.
•Factoring in inflation,
traveling Florida’s Turnpike
Mainline is actually less
expensive now than it was when
it was first built.
•Rates for SunPass customers
were not increased with the
48
most recent, 2004, toll rate
increase.
•The most recent toll rate
increase brought in additional
revenue, enabling the Turnpike
to construct a number of
projects earlier than scheduled.
Way o f D
ss
w
e
e
n
o
i
N
i
s
ng Bu
A
Since being charged by the 2002 Florida Legislature to create a new
business model that would better serve the mobility needs of the state,
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has worked diligently to implement best
practices from the private sector, while maintaining focus on its publicsector responsibility.
To provide the state with a “dashboard” for measuring success, Florida’s
Turnpike Enterprise has established a series of performance measures.
These measurements actively gauge the organization’s progress in the
areas of safety, customer service, staffing, project delivery speed, and
financial soundness.
Performance Measure:
Customer Perceived Value for Toll
92%
90 %
88%
86%
84%
82%
80 %
02
03
04
Year
05
06
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
developed a new toll gantry that is not only attractive, but also highly
creating a new business
49
Florida
Transportation
Commission
Secretary
Stephanie Kopelousos
There have been many
In addition, Florida’s Turnpike is measuring up to expectations in other
organizational structures in
ways. Consultants and contractors compose 90 percent of Florida’s
the history of Florida’s
Turnpike Enterprise staff. Ongoing employee education, including
Turnpike, but the one in place
“We Drive Smiles” training, is creating a work culture that encourages
during the 50th Anniversary
involvement, responsibility, and superior performance by all those involved
of the Turnpike, on January 25,
in Turnpike activities. Partnerships forged with other public and private
2007, exhibits the Enterprise’s
entities are making new roads and interchanges possible. Investments in
business model.
innovative technologies are improving both revenue collection efficiency
and customer service. And new safety programs, public information
initiatives, and operations strategies are making a difference.
FHP Troop K
Commander
Chief James M. Lee
v i n g i n to
o
the
rs
M
next 50 yea
Today, Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world, with 1,100
additional people a day deciding to call Florida home. There is no
question that the appeal of the “Sunshine State” is riper than ever.
Chief Financial
Officer
William F. Thorp, CPA
general
Counsel
J. Walter Spiva
Demographers agree that when the U.S. Census is completed in 2010
Communications
and marketing
Kimberlee L. Poulton
Florida will officially overtake New York as the third largest state in
the union. This continued increase in population and economic activity
will mean a continued increase in the need for high-volume, high-speed
50
transportation facilities.
Simultaneously, the aging baby-boomer generation is straining federal
Deputy Executive Director and
Chief Operating Officer
Christopher L. Warren, PE
resources with no extra revenue in Washington D.C. for transportation.
Likewise, state resources fall farther behind in their ability to fully
fund needed transportation projects. These demographic, economic, and
financial realities are converging to form the transportation equivalent of
a “perfect storm,” thrusting modern-day transportation funding beyond
the tipping point and squarely into the 21st century. With 50 years of
experience in providing user-financed infrastructure, Florida’s Turnpike is
poised to continue its leadership role well into the future.
Planning and
Production
Nancy Clements, PE
Toll
Operations
Evelio D. Suarez
Highway
Operations
Jennifer Olson, PE
Business Development and
Concessions management
Richard D. Nelson
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
Executive Director and
Chief Executive Officer
James L. Ely, DPA
51
The last 50 years of Florida’s Turnpike were built upon a solid foundation
of constructing, widening, and improving facilities to meet the insatiable
demand of Florida’s residents, businesses, and visitors. The next 50
years of Florida’s Turnpike will be marked by major investments in
technology and a broader distribution of user-financed transportation
products throughout the state. In 20 years, paying tolls with cash on
Turnpike roads will be a thing of the past as the Turnpike becomes all
electronic, and toll roads and interchanges constructed in the future will
not accommodate cash transactions.
A fully electronic Turnpike will mean no one will ever wait in line to
pay a toll, resulting in safer roads and a more efficient agency that can
put more toll revenue directly into new transportation projects for the
medians of congested urban interstates will turn frustrated commuters
into satisfied Turnpike customers. The future of transportation is
Then and Now Florida’s Turnpike
Toll Collectors
Above: Florida’s Turnpike toll collectors,
decked out in their 1968 garb, display their
Governor’s Award for Most Courteous Toll
Plaza.
Left: Customer Service Excellence Award
recipient Linda Smith-Collins wearing today’s
toll collector apparel.
also one of partnerships, and the Turnpike Enterprise will seek out
other transportation agencies to help provide a seamless multi-modal
transportation solution for the future of Florida.
As Florida’s population has grown over the past 50 years, so too has the
need for and mission of Florida’s Turnpike. The success of Florida and
Florida’s Turnpike has become increasingly bound together over time as
new residents choose to relocate near and rely upon the many arteries
52
that make up the Turnpike System. Today that system of roads runs
through 16 counties holding nearly 70 percent of the state’s population,
serving over 2 million customers a day. The future of Florida and Florida’s
Turnpike are inextricably linked — and both are very bright indeed!
50 Years of Florida’s Turnpike
state. New transportation products like managed express lanes in the
53
108
50
50 60 70 80 90 00 06
Year
$643.0
Turnpike Toll
& Concession Revenues
(in Millions)
600
$348.2
500
400
$52.1
$27.1
$13 0.4
300
$5.4
515.8
306.0
132.8
200
4.5
4.95
100
50 60 70 80 90 00 06
Year
100
300
50 60 70 80 90 00 06
Year
150
200
400
100
200
2
54
500
53.1
460
401
320
250
2.77
6
265
300
6.79
10
400
350
9.75
14
450
Turnpike
Vehicle trips
(in Millions)
27.6
12.94
15.98
18
Turnpike
Centerline
Miles
343
Florida
Population
(in millions)
18.08
Florida and Florida’s Turnpike:
Growing Hand-in-Hand
50 60 70 80 90 00 06
Year
As the state of Florida’s population and their
needs have grown over the past half-century,
Florida’s Turnpike has kept pace, meeting the
transportation requirements of the state’s
residents and those who visit here.
Florida’s Turnpike System
A Component of Florida’s Intrastate Highway System (FIHS)
10
Pensacola
18
Fort
Walton
Beach 19
Panama
City
10
441
75
Tallahassee
319
Jacksonville
10
19
Lake City
27
98
441
19
ROAD KEY
27
441
FDOT-Owned-and-Operated Facilities
441
27
12
4
Other FIHS Highways
5
441
98
9
75
6
2
50
Orlando
11
14
417
429
Tampa
689
FDOT-Operated Facilities (Not Owned)
Daytona Beach
10
Ocala
Existing Turnpike System
Turnpike Expansion Projects Under Study
St. Augustine
95
Gainesville
75
4
570
Lakeland
17
St. Petersburg
15
16
Existing Turnpike System Components
1. Florida’s Turnpike (1957 and 1964)
2. Beachline West Expressway (1973)
3. Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (1974)
4. Sawgrass Expressway (Acquired 1990)
5. Seminole Expressway, Project 1 (1994)
6. Veterans Expressway (1994)
7. Southern Connector Extension (1996)
8. Polk Parkway (1998)
9. Suncoast Parkway, Project 1 (2001)
10. Seminole Expressway, Project 2 (2002)
11. Western Beltway, Part C (I-4 to Seidel Road) (2006)
Fort Pierce
27
Sarasota
8
7 Melbourne
1
95
75
West Palm
Beach
Fort
Myers
4
Naples
13
869
75
Fort
Lauderdale
3
Miami
Planned System Expansion
12. Suncoast Parkway, Project 2 (U.S. 98 to U.S. 19) Design
FDOT-Owned-and-Operated Facilities
13. Alligator Alley
14. Beachline East Expressway
15. Pinellas Bayway System
16. Sunshine Skyway Bridge
FDOT-Operated Facilities (Not Owned)
17. Crosstown Expressway (Lee Roy Selmon)
18. Garcon Point Bridge
19. Mid-Bay Bridge
Key West
Turnpike Enterprise Headquarters
at Turkey Lake
Turnpike Enterprise SunPass Service Center
and Tolls Data Center at Boca Raton
Turnpike Enterprise Operations Center
at Pompano Beach