"Toll idea advances despite opposition"> _Orlando Sentinel_ - March 16, 2005> Excerpts:>

'The state is moving forward with controversial plans to build toll> lanes down the center of Interstate 4 as a way to ease the> bumper-to-bumper traffic that plagues Central Florida's most-hated> road. Work on the toll roads, derided by critics as "Lexus lanes,"> could begin in four years and be done by 2013.'>

'The idea of toll lanes inside I-4 was blamed by many as one of the> downfalls of a transportation tax that Orange County voters turned down> in 2003. And it still has powerful opponents, including U.S. Rep. John> Mica, R-Winter Park, who vowed to kill it.'>

'State transportation officials have insisted for years that there is no> way to build I-4 wide enough to handle all the traffic. They say the> only way to assure that someone can get to or through Orlando without> bogging down in congestion is to create something new: a whole new> route, just expensive enough to use that people would only drive it if> they have to.'>

'With a pledge of $350 million in seed money this year from Florida's> Turnpike Enterprise, the Florida Department of Transportation thinks it> can start a $1.5 billion final overhaul of I-4, including the toll lanes> from Longwood to Universal Studios. However, they'll need federal money> to complete the project.'>

'State officials are calling the concept a highway within a highway. > The toll lanes would be called Xpress 400; the state-highway designation> for I-4 is State Road 400.'>

'"The way we look at this, we're not tolling the interstate. Tolling> the interstate would suggest you're converting existing lanes to toll> lanes, and you're tolling all the lanes," said Jim Ely, chief operating> officer of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise. "We're not doing that. We're> adding new capacity, which is user-financed, and not tax-financed."' >

'Under the state's plan, I-4 would be rebuilt one last time, from just> east of S.R. 434 to just west of Kirkman Road. Most of the interchanges> and bridges would be rebuilt. The fourth lane in each direction, now> intermittent, would be made continuous. Difficult curves, such as the> one near Fairbanks Avenue, would be engineered for faster traffic. Most> of the $1.5 billion cost covers the interchange improvements. The> toll-lanes portion alone would cost about $305 million, state officials> said.'>

'Drivers could get in or out of the toll lanes at eight spots along I-4> or several cross streets. Electronic-message signs would tell drivers> what travel times are in the free and tolled lanes, and what the tolls> are, so drivers could choose.'>

'The lanes would be open only to people with electronic transponders> that can tally tolls by radio signals even at high speeds. Fares would> be adjusted frequently to try to encourage or discourage more traffic to> get into the toll lanes.'>