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| Reports indicate that this past Saturday a modified version of the "panic-switch" was activated at the beach toll booth in order to clear traffic. Unfortunately, though, all the cars flushed through will be billed if they are not on Sunpass, which will in effect quadruple the cost of the trip for the 1-time day visitor....which will make many folks angry...... |
Looking at some online sites this morning, and on some facebook chat sites, it appears that the county did, indeed, hit the traffic "panic switch" idea I proposed last week with great initial effect this weekend.
According to Andrew McKay's site, where he states he had an exclusive look into the issue in real-time, it says the toll-booths were opened-up and the lights synced, as I had envisioned, and the traffic flushed. Bravo! the plan works! According to McKay--this modified "panic switch" was engaged a total of three times on Saturday--and each time it did as intended, it worked.
This is fantastic, and my hat's off to Commissioner Bender and the traffic division for taking action!
The ONLY tweak or modification that I'd suggest to their version of the "panic switch" is this: Don't charge tolls at all when you have to flush the traffic through to ease the gridlock caused by the toll booth.
Like I said at last week's BCC meeting on this topic---If you charge drivers who are caught up in the traffic--when the gridlock is not their fault--this will create some anger among drivers; If you open the booths up and usher traffic through WITHOUT going to zero-fare mode (and thus NOT charging)--the unsavory and unintended consequence will be that many in the line that waited to pay $1.00 are suddenly forced through and will eventually pay four times this much when they get the bill in the mail ($1.00 toll, plus $2.50 fee, plus $.50 cent stamp= $4.00---four times what the toll is).
Why not just "eat it" and give up a few thousand dollars in revenue on the rare occasions when the panic switch gets engaged--as I envisioned in my version above? I think to pass them through toll- free at these times is the much more palatable option, and also the "customer-friendly" way to go--just as I stated at the meeting last week. After all--we're grossing over $3 Million yearly in cash tolls--we could afford to eat $5,000.00 here and there for public safety and good public/constituent relations, right??
But hey, that's just my opinion. Opinions vary.
Marlette did another cartoon, I hate to say it I laughed, not at you, but at him. he can't leave the confederate flag out of it and the tan lines did denote something. Too bad he didn't seem to understand what a great job and effort you put into solving complex problems.
ReplyDeleteAndy Marlette is triggered by my very existance as a human. In fact, I think that's why I rent space in his head and he targets me so frequently, LOL. I represent that which he despises: A white, married, heterosexual, middle-aged conservative male that holds an elected office that is NOT an apologist for our country--a place I believe is the greatest nation the world has ever seen. I don't genuflect to the press and especially not to the PNJ. And that is how I'm apparently in his "target" rotation for attack cartoons and editorials, along with President Trump, Congressman Gaetz, Senator Rick Scott, Senator Doug Broxson, Representative Hill, and Representative Andrade. Hey--in my way of thinking--that's not bad company to keep--I respect all those guys and what they do, and I support them. And that triggers Andy I guess.
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