At their last board meeting of January 31, 2019, the MDX Board of Directors approved a Resolution presented by Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Chairman of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority declaring that MDX toll rates, which were reduced by 5.7 to 8 percent in July 1, 2018, will not be increased in the future. The Resolution further repealed MDX’s Toll Rate Policy that required the Board of Directors to review its toll rates every two years to determine if a consumer price index inflation adjustment (CPI) should be implemented on its tolls.
Although the CPI Policy was enacted in 2008, MDX has never implemented a CPI toll adjustment. In contrast, through automatic annual State mandated CPI adjustments, the toll rates on the State of Florida’s Turnpike have increased by 43 percent since 2012 going from 75 cents per mainline toll in 2012 to $1.07 per mainline toll (Homestead, Bird Road, Okeechobee, and NW 74th Street) and 54 cents per exit, with the exception of Allapattah Road exit in South Dade, which is 80 cents.
More good news for Miami-Dade commuters and local businesses, MDX Board of Directors approved a measure introduced by Mayor Gimenez requesting that the Frequent Driver Rewards Program open registration for new members on February 4th for a cash back toll rebate to be mailed out to MDX customers in December. Last December the $15 million in revenue loss resulting from the toll rate reduction benefitting all MDX customers, both Sunpass and non-Sunpass customers, did not provide MDX Board of Directors the monies to issue a cash back check. Since 100% of tollpayers on the MDX expressways benefitted from the permanent toll reduction in July, the new Frequent Driver Rewards Program was modified to benefit daily commuters, businesses and frequent customers who incur $250 annually (approximately $4.80 weekly) per transponder in tolls on the MDX System will receive an additional 15% toll reduction on their annual toll consumption on the MDX expressways in the form of a cash rebate for up to $300 per transponder.
MDX also reaffirmed its Multi-Axle Toll Discount Policy, which caps its toll rates for the trucking and freight industry on MDX’s five expressways at 3 Axles. This is a freight friendly toll policy that allows cargo containers on the MDX expressways to ride for free, thus keeping tractor trailers and large trucks of our local city roads.
According to statistics provided by MDX 70% of its customers pay $100 or less annually in tolls annually on the Miami-Dade expressways operated by the Agency (SR 836/ Dolphin Expressway, SR 112/ Airport Expressway, SR 874 / Don Shula Expressway, SR 878 / Snapper Creek Expressway and SR 924/ Gratigny Parkway), with the balance of consumer’s toll bills charged by the State of Florida on the State operated expressways like the Florida Turnpike and I-95 Express Lanes. Almost 80 percent of the tolls collected on the five MDX local expressway are tolls paid by Miami Dade County residents and businesses; the balance coming from commuters from neighboring counties, tourists and visitors to Miami-Dade County. In its 20 year existence, 100% of these tolls have been reinvested by MDX in transportation infrastructure within Miami-Dade County, leveraging more than $3 billion in local infrastructure and facilities.
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