Cash tolls will eventually be a distant memory in Palm Beach County. This is due to a 3-year project to remove toll plazas at Glades Road, Atlantic Avenue and Boynton Beach Boulevard.
Nick Uhren, executive director of the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency, says that all-electronic tolling has substantial operational benefits.
“The idea is that we can eliminate any sort of delays or slowdowns associated with the transactions, the payment of tolls or the collection of the tickets, allowing the drivers to get off the turnpike and onto the local roads,” Uhren said.
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Drivers are able to choose between SunPass or toll-by-plate.
According to the Florida Turnpike's website: “With Toll-by-Plate a photo is taken of a vehicle’s license plate when no SunPass or other interoperable transponder is detected as it travels under the tolling equipment.”
Uhren believes that SunPass will become more prevalent due to its cheaper cost and growing national usage.
“I think that's going to be a big benefit to some of our more seasonal commuters, the folks who come down to Florida for portions of the year and then return to other parts of the country for other parts of the year,” Uhren said.
Construction to convert to all electronic tolls in northern Palm Beach County, and then to continue from Lantana into St. Lucie and Indian River counties, is underway.
Uhren says there are currently $650 to $700 million in planned capital investments in the Turnpike. These investments will go toward widening the Turnpike and other projects over the next five years.
