Subscribe RSS FeedWell, I was right. Here it be Friday, and I’m pissed already. I was calm and tolerant, peaceful and content all week. Until I returned to the one county in all of the USA that is attempting to compete in the Olympics in the category of most crooked and inept local government. Looks like they will come home with the Gold. Of course, they are already planning on getting the gold on I-95 by giving the citizens the shaft! I am of course referring to the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-95 from downtown to the Golden Glades Interchange.
I am so pissed that I don’t even feel like doing a full rant. I’ll just show you in pictures:
Here is the image that greeted me today. You see the lane to the left? I need that lane in order to get on the Florida Turnpike. Can’t get there though, as you can see.
See the two left lanes, and the lack of congestion? See my lane and the congestion?
This helps how???
See my speed? Which is not accurate, as that is as far down as the needle goes on my old truck. So, I’m really doing barely 3 to 5 MPH. And of course, buring more fuel and polluting the air more. Thanks Miami-Dade County Ass Weasel government pigs!!!
Whoa – wait a minute folks. The HOT speed lanes have come to a dead stop!!! See the traffic in the left lanes, and the red brake lights??? Why is that???? Because me and my 500 other fellow commuters seeking the turnpike lane can now, at the last minute, force ourselves over into that lane and thus, create a bottleneck of traffic!
Great freaking job you freaking asswipe government turds!!!
This helps traffic how?????
To make matters worse, this was taken at 6 PM on a Friday, in the Summer when both Miami-Dade and Broward schools are closed, and no tourist are down here. In other words, in the lightest possible traffic situation. And what do we get? Congestion.
But Miami-Dade Government – the crooked politicians, the inept and crooked bureacrats are making a ton of money by charging people for using those two left lanes, sometimes as high as $2.50. They guarantee an average speed of 55 MPH – until the lane ends about a quarter mile from the Golden Glades Interchange, where the artificially created bottleneck slams everyone to a freaking dead stop.
Isn’t that nice? A federal interstate turned into a toll road in order to create more congestion.
All you ultra, ultra liberals out there who believe the solution to any society’s ills is father government? This is what you get. Crooks and thieves.
And to think Obama, when he wins in November, will be working his ass off to give us more government solutions, just like this one.
I can hardly wait.
Just some guy with a blog; posting photos, fiction, tech articles along with some humor and sarcasm. Enjoy!
Your absolutely right, except for the fact that the concept of congestion toll pricing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing) is not something that the corrupt government pigs down there in Miami came up with all by themselves. You give them too much credit. The idea and concept originated elsewhere, and in some areas works quite well. I’m not sure if the implementation in this case was executed all that well.
I’m from Florida originally and i can tell you that the turnpike extensions to SW 137th ave are quite impressive.
Believe me the roads here in Boston are horrible.
We might not have as much traffic, but only because of public transportation in the city.
We have congestion down here because we don’t have mass transportation, despite the government coming around every ten years with some tax increase to build it, which they never do.
We also have congestion because of all the TOLL roads. If we didn’t have to stop to pay the toll, we wouldn’t have congestion.
Boston is a pretty town.
I also like your blog!
SCG
I’m from Florida originally and i can tell you that the turnpike extensions to SW 137th ave are quite impressive.
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johnson789
Addiction Recovery Florida
Addiction Recovery Florida
SCG- this is an absolute cluster… I am amazed at how stupid this is …. UGGHHHH
The idea of an express lane is a good one, and reduces traffic jams everyplace they are intsalled. HALF the traffic on that section of I95 is traffic going to Broward County. It makes sense to segregrate them into “local” and “express.”
No, the problem isn’t the express lane. The problem is that people are stupid, and people in Miami are particularly stupid.
Stupid #1: charging to use the express lane.
Stupid #2: using those candlesticks instead of proper j-type concret barriers to divide the lanes.
Stupid #3: failing to understand the concept of “express” lane versus “local.”
Stupid #4: trying to do a half-assed conversions of lanes that were already completely failed miserably for their intended purpose.
Stupid #5: giving out waaaay too many drivers licenses to people who can’t understand simply concepts like express lanes, not crossing barriers, and never stopping in the middle of a highway.
This is just another example that proves what I’ve been saying for years: Florida has the worst civil engineers in the United States: we only get the ones who weren’t even good enough to design parking lots in the rest of the country.
CLJ – You make some excellent points.
Just curious how you critics would have done it.
Glad you asked Bill! What they did was to take a 5 lane highway that had one lane, the HOV lane, restricted to two or more people. So, we really had four lanes for most people. They expanded it to six lanes, than blocked off two lanes, leaving us with – four lanes.
The Florida Highway Patrol would pull people over for driving in the HOV lane, and thus, block traffic as people tried to get by, and of course, rubbernecked.
What would I do?
1) Expand to six regular lanes! Anyone can drive in any lane. That means all six lanes will be moving faster. And, you won’t have FHP causing more congestion trying to pull people over.
2) Eliminate the tolls on the Florida Turnpike, which many of these six lanes eventually feed into. And creates a bottleneck.
3) Build the mass transit mono-rail that I voted on in 19 freaking 79!!!! Yes, 1979!!The nono-rail the bastards promised over 30 freaking years ago!!! Where the hell did THAT money go????
4) Disband all government!
5) Hang all politicians by their little toes 100 feet over I-95!!
OK, maybe # 5 is going too far…….
SCG
“The Florida Department of Transportation, with a big push from the Bush administration, is converting the loathed and under-enforced HOV lanes into loathed but comparatively more enforceable High Occupancy Toll, or HOT, lanes.” Miami Herald, July 14, 2008
We don’t support MORE government, just more representative government. THIS is the type of government that conservatives give us, catering to those who can afford a $10 commute while the rest of us suffer. Sorry, but you can’t blame this catastrophe on liberals.
I stand corrected. When I am wrong, I admit it. Bush has created the largest federal government in history. Then again, Bush has violated many of the conservative beliefs.
What I was trying to state, is that I know many ultra, ultra liberals who do hold to the belief that government IS the answer. I know one good friend who once told me he would gladly vote for anyone who would raise his taxes to 60% if it meant the government provided all benefits. Just like some countries in Europe.
But if you’ve read more of what I write, you will know that I hold to the belief that all politicians, by their very nature and the nature of politics – are crooks. Doesn’t matter what party.
Thanks for your comments, and pointing out my mistake. I appreciate it.
SCG
I couldn’t agree with you more! This is an absolute waste of time and money. I have one to add to the list on how you’d do things. You forgot to mention that we should revoke the drivers licenses of all the a-holes down here who cannot drive worth a damn. Maybe then we’d free up some lanes as well!
DG
Doug, what makes you think we give people driver licenses anymore anyway?
I think everyone is missing the point here with the HOV/Hot lanes. Obviously they had no intention of creating free flowing traffic…its all about the money.
If you want to use the Turnpike get on and pay the pre-charge for the HOT lane so you are in the correct lane in the first place.
All you people who get on after the HOT lane go back to the beginning, do not pass go.
Anyone caught cheating will be fined.
Anyone causing an accident will be fined
Anyone using the HOT lane will be charged and fined.
Engineered into this creation is “The Peter Principal” “Everyone rises to their own level of incompetence.”
Knowing full well Most idiots in Miami can’t get out of their driveway without maxing-out their Peter-Meter, The powers that be –knew this would be a gold mine for them.
Tolls, fines,a Gold mine
brainman, excellent comment!
SCG
This is the problem with these blogs, the usual responses are all one-sided and negative. I LOVE the idea of express lanes on 95 and I speak from experience. I commuted from Coral Gables to Lake Worth every day(roughly 170 miles) for a year on 95, and these lanes WILL help…eventually, once the overwhelmingly under-educated and diverse population of Miami-Dade have a chance to get used to it. In this guise, I do think the express signs and markers should also be printed in Spanish. For all you naysayers, the number of normal travel lanes(4)have remained the same and you can still use the express lanes for free if you car pool, drive a motorcycle or drive a hybrid car. As for congestion at the Golden Glades Turnpike interchange, this was always a nightmare every single afternoon and the above pictures paint a very familiar scene. Lastly, reiterating that the number of normal, northbound travel lanes remain the same, this seems to be a most glorious example of capitalism I have seen in Miami since I moved here 7 years ago. Now, instead of being segregated by law from driving in the old HOV lane, we, as free drivers, are able to choose if our time is worth more than a posted toll.
Cory,
Yes, I agree with you, it works fairly better IF you get on in downtown Miami and want to go all the way to the Golden Glades.
BUT – What about the thousands of commuters who DON’T get on I-95 at the start of the 95express? What if you want to get on at 79th street? 95th street? 103street? 135th street????? YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! You cannot get into the 95Express lane. Even if I wanted to, and wanted to pay to drive a public federal interstate, I CAN’T!
So, I am stuck in traffic on 95 going 0 to 15 MPH, when BEFORE I could go 30 to 45 MPH.
So, how is this helping the thousands of commuters who are not allowed to participate in 95Express?
And while the Golden Glades is usually a bottleneck, it never, ever is during July and August with thousands of school employees are NOT working. And when thousands of TOURIST are NOT here. So, if 95 Express is a freaking parking lot NOW – wait until October and November!
So, while I appreciate your comment, it is very one sided.
SCG
SCG: Excellent point. If this really was a well-designed project intended for the convenience of the people, then every exit onto I-95 would have ramps that entered the express lanes.
I completely agree with your earlier point that if they really wanted to do this to serve the people they would simply open up all 6 lanes to all motorists; isn’t that the simplest way to ensure that traffic is equally distributed between all lanes?
It’s not about convenience for us, it’s simply about generating money from public roads that have already been funded by the taxpayers. Shame on Miami-Dade and whoever the hell supported this project.
Thanks for the comments!
SCG
Sepreate the Rich from the Poor on 95 express lane!
The 95 express lanes are a bad political move to create revenue for the government of Dade County. The Lanes are charge a AP ? Adjustible Price ? .25 to $2 and our tax money paid is 210 million? and this was never voted on! The lanes are empty and traffic is now backed up horrible from 4pm till 7pm, thank you Dade County !
How about charging everyone a fixed! .25 cents all day and all night and open up all lanes to allow traffic to flow properly! Bad ideas should be admitted not ignored Manny Diaz !
95 Express Lanes ! Bad Idea! Open up the Lanes!
And Now you want us to car pool? Put more people in a one car so Miami looks less crowded to attract tourist to move here! Aint going to happen! Sorry Manny Diaz! People dont like to car pool!
Spend 210 Million on the people that paid it to you Manny Diaz, and re surface our roads Manny Diaz. Not your popularity Project, for tourist going to broward, how about the people that live here in dade county, all we get is a headache from your great ideas!
Thank you
Manny Diaz and MPO
This isnt about express or local lanes, this is you and I having to pay a TAX to drive on a road which we didnt have to pay to drive on before. WAKE UP PEOPLE!! We are getting fleeced. The 95 is an interstate highway, how can they suddenly start taxing residents to use some lanes? Get your pitchforks, write your representatives! Boycott those lanes!!
Right on Martin!
SCG
The chaos that the express lanes have created in Miami Dade is enormous! it is a complete disaster. Our company has measured the traveling time of an average of 200-500 cars at peak hours an the results are that 10% of the cars travel in average 20 miles p/h faster than the other 90%! The remaining 90% if the cars are traveling during 7 miles at a lower speeds than before they were created. This concludes that in average the speed has decreased to the overal population using the I-95 in Dade County. It is a must to all the residents to speak up!
Thanks Mark!
They are sending out surveys, but will they listen? They already are planning on doing the same with I-595 in Broward. Why would they commit to that project before the results of the survey is known? Because they don’t care what we think.
SCG
We are completely the victims to use the I95 express lane that we are not the residents here. We just want to visit Miami with a fun vacation, this mistaken entrance gave us a bad bad experience. We are from California and never known this traffic policy.
Another problem, how can we pay the prepay sun pass as a tourist?
This policy scares the tourist to visit Florida again!!!!!!!!1
This is killing me too. It adds 20 minutes average daily each way to my commute now that both NB and SB are open… It is ridiculous that the vast majority of us have to sit and watch 2 open lanes with a minority of the commuters in it passing all of us by. How is this fair when all of our tax dollars paid for the creation of 95 to begin with??? The bottle neck is absolutely horrible and its slow the majority of cars FOR MILES. How can this be allowed!!??? I want to know- is there an organized complaint force? Or is there a petition to voice the concern going around? Where can we begin? I don’t want to write a letter to my congress person. Do you guys/gals know of a place to start- we all need to unite to be heard…
I found your blog searching I-95 dangerous express lanes just before retiring to sleep on this Saturday morning. No matter what time of the day or night you take I-95, it’s a nightmare. Those express lanes are just another way for our government to rob us, and the polls are dangerous. I have written to several elected officials and voiced my concerns about this, and I’ve only seen more express lanes and more polls, so they are not listening and they do not care. I just sent an e-mail to Mary Peters, the secretary of transporation in Washington, D.C.
We need to free our highways and get rid of those express lanes and polls…and get rid of the stupid politicians currently in power who are inept and unable to do anything about this problem. Get rid of those express lanes and the polls!
Thanks for your comment Milly. Obviously I agree with you. However, it is tough to fight city hall. Not only does the Florida Dept of Transportation call 95express a stunning success, but they will be doing the same thing to I-595 in Broward county.
Hang in there and drive safe.
SCG
Totally agree with SCG that says:
Point 5 is the best
1) Expand to six regular lanes! Anyone can drive in any lane. That means all six lanes will be moving faster. And, you won’t have FHP causing more congestion trying to pull people over.
2) Eliminate the tolls on the Florida Turnpike, which many of these six lanes eventually feed into. And creates a bottleneck.
3) Build the mass transit mono-rail that I voted on in 19 freaking 79!!!! Yes, 1979!!The nono-rail the bastards promised over 30 freaking years ago!!! Where the hell did THAT money go????
4) Disband all government!
5) Hang all politicians by their little toes 100 feet over I-95!!
I think government needs to be recalled…but I would enjoy the sight of a few hanging by their toes over I-95.
Another problem with our highways – they eliminated paid booths on Gratigny and planning the same venture on other highways (i.e, I-75), but I do not have a SunPass!
Milly, good luck driving without sunpass! Thanks for comments.