Winner
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/K7FRAUHGP5GEBOC6FJFOWSGYOM.JPG "Thomas Peterffy, who made his fortune in the discount brokerage business.")
Thomas Peterffy. Thanks to the Florida Phoenix, we know that one clear beneficiary of a plan to expand Florida’s toll road system is this billionaire. He owns a block of land the size of Rhode Island in the Panhandle. Its value would skyrocket if it could be developed. Voilà. A multi-billion dollar slate of toll road projects supported by the Florida Senate gained traction in the House this week. At least one of the proposed routes would have to at least brush up against this land.
Loser
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/W36HA2KCLJFC7CRSVXKW4AKIWA.jpg "A short line of vehicles forms in the only lane open Jan. 27 at a Suncoast Parkway toll plaza.")
SunPass. A contractor’s botched takeover of the state’s toll road system affected thousands of motorists’ bills last year and now the contractor has been fined $4.6 million. Kudos to Gov. Ron DeSantis for continuing to waive drivers’ fees and penalties, but this mess gets more complicated and painful by the day. Florida needs to clear this roadway once and for all.
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/823c3ff5-1384-4901-9b6b-f42d199d0595.png "Michael Van Sickler - Assistant Managing Editor, News")
/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/2597fb02-c313-45c4-91d4-d08a154769f4.png "Amy Hollyfield - Former Times Staffer")