The Florida Senate

338.165  Continuation of tolls.--

(1)  The department, any transportation or expressway authority or, in the absence of an authority, a county or counties may continue to collect the toll on a revenue-producing project after the discharge of any bond indebtedness related to such project and may increase such toll. All tolls so collected shall first be used to pay the annual cost of the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the toll project.

(2)  If the revenue-producing project is on the State Highway System, any remaining toll revenue shall be used for the construction, maintenance, or improvement of any road on the State Highway System within the county or counties in which the revenue-producing project is located, except as provided in s. 348.0004

(3)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department, including the turnpike enterprise, shall index toll rates on existing toll facilities to the annual Consumer Price Index or similar inflation indicators. Toll rate adjustments for inflation under this subsection may be made no more frequently than once a year and must be made no less frequently than once every 5 years as necessary to accommodate cash toll rate schedules. Toll rates may be increased beyond these limits as directed by bond documents, covenants, or governing body authorization or pursuant to department administrative rule.

(4)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, pursuant to s. 11, Art. VII of the State Constitution, and subject to the requirements of subsection (2), the Department of Transportation may request the Division of Bond Finance to issue bonds secured by toll revenues collected on the Alligator Alley, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Beeline-East Expressway, the Navarre Bridge, and the Pinellas Bayway to fund transportation projects located within the county or counties in which the project is located and contained in the adopted work program of the department.

(5)  If the revenue-producing project is on the county road system, any remaining toll revenue shall be used for the construction, maintenance, or improvement of any other state or county road within the county or counties in which the revenue-producing project is located, except as provided in s. 348.0004

(6)  Selection of projects on the State Highway System for construction, maintenance, or improvement with toll revenues shall be, with the concurrence of the department, consistent with the Florida Transportation Plan.

(7)  This section does not apply to high-occupancy toll lanes or express lanes.

(8)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), and not including high occupancy toll lanes or express lanes, no tolls may be charged for use of an interstate highway where tolls were not charged as of July 1, 1997.

(9)  With the exception of subsection (3), this section does not apply to the turnpike system as defined under the Florida Turnpike Enterprise Law.

History.--s. 67, ch. 85-180; s. 1, ch. 88-286; s. 5, ch. 94-115; s. 60, ch. 94-237; s. 17, ch. 97-280; s. 17, ch. 2000-266; s. 14, ch. 2002-20; s. 3, ch. 2003-286; s. 2, ch. 2003-409; s. 51, ch. 2007-196; s. 68, ch. 2008-4; s. 13, ch. 2009-85.