Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a proposal from state Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, and state Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, R- Coral Gables, which “appropriates $500 million for a statewide toll relief program for frequent commuters” throughout 2023.
The bill was passed without opposition during last week’s special session of the Legislature.
DeSantis’ office offered some details after he signed the bill “establishing the Toll Relief Program through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which will provide account credits to frequent commuters using toll roads across the state.”
“The program will give Floridians with 35 or more toll transactions per month a 50 percent credit to their account. The legislation, originally proposed by Governor DeSantis in September of this year, was successfully passed during the recent Legislative Special Session. The Toll Relief Program begins on January 1, 2023, and runs through December 31, 2023,” the governor’s office noted. “Under the Toll Relief Program, drivers who use toll transponders, such as SunPass or other Florida-based transponders, and have 35 or more qualifying toll transactions per month will receive a 50 percent credit to their account. This program is expected to benefit approximately 1.2 million drivers and will save the average commuter nearly $400 in the 2023 calendar year.”
“I promised Floridians that I would find additional ways to provide toll relief for Florida families,” said DeSantis. “With this legislation, we are keeping that promise to help hardworking families keep more money in their pockets. I applaud the Florida Legislature for prioritizing this during the special session.”
“This program provides impactful cost savings to Floridians and directly benefits individuals and families by helping with today’s financial challenges,” said Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. “This is an essential move forward in giving commuters much-needed relief and I commend Governor DeSantis, FDOT, and the Florida Legislature for continuing to prioritize Florida families.”
“For many Floridians, tolls are an unavoidable cost of commuting to work five or six days a week,” said DiCeglie. “This bill is a common-sense solution that provides relief at a time when Floridians need it the most. I’m thankful the governor supports this legislation to make tolls more affordable for commuters across the state.”
“Florida workers and commuters fuel our economy,” said Busatta Cabrera. “I appreciate the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez, and Speaker Renner for fighting to establish a 12-month toll relief program that will keep money in the pockets of hardworking Floridians.”
“FDOT is thrilled to offer the Toll Relief Program to help Floridians with the challenges of rising costs of life,” said Florida Department of Transportation Sec. Jared Perdue. “Customers are at the center of all we do at FDOT, and this program will truly make an immediate impact on the everyday lives of our customers.”
