Ingenious

It's ideas like this that make being a masochist a requirement for living in Florida.

TALLAHASSEE – In a move that would alter the way thousands of people use Interstate 95, the Florida Senate is moving to allocate money to convert the free, HOV lanes to toll lanes from Interstate 595 in Broward to State Road 112 in Miami-Dade

The high-occupancy vehicle lanes currently allow vehicles with two or more passengers and hybrid vehicles with just one occupant to zip along the interstate while everyone else is sitting in traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. The change would offer the privilege of the fast ride for anyone willing to pay.

The idea is a long way from becoming reality, and faces stiff opposition from Broward County legislators. But it got a boost Wednesday as drafters of the Senate version of the state budget included $35 million for the project. That would be matched by $35 million from the federal government, for a total cost of $70 million.

Someone tell me how I-95 will be even partly converted into a toll road without some kind of construction work having to be done to the highway? I know there is the Sunpass gadgetry, but to record the use of a HOV lane, some kind of road work is going to have to be done. On a highway that is overburdened with traffic already and has been in constant state of under construction for at least a decade.

Just whip me people if this legislation ever becomes law.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Morewhat, Pirate's Cove, StikNstein,