March 16, 2009
"New Fees Raise Cost of Driving in Florida"
By Jennifer Gollan
In car-obsessed South Florida, the road to happiness is paved. But cruising that concrete now costs more.
As cash-strapped governments grow increasingly desperate to boost revenue, they have imposed a variety of new fees on drivers.
Among them: The state recently added a $10 surcharge on all tickets for civil traffic infractions and imposed tolls of up to $6.20 for new I-95 express lanes. Local governments are installing cameras at busy intersections, fining drivers who run red lights $75 to $500, depending on how many times they have been caught.
"It is supposed to save lives, and all that money will go into the general fund. All cities are going to need money right now," said Pembroke Pines City Manager Charlie Dodge, who expects the city to net $1 million annually.
"With driving, a lot of states and local governments are doing these nickel and diming tax increases on a lot of little things," said Joseph Henchman, tax counsel at the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Washington, D.C. "It is certainly a big cash cow, especially in an area like Florida where a lot of people drive. While people resent paying higher taxes on the activity, they will probably still do it."