In Florida the relationship between miles of roads and population is perhaps more balanced today than in the past when some powerful north Florida legislators were accused of spending more for roads in their districts than their populations warranted. Traffic congestion is greatest in southeastern Florida and in the Tampa Bay area. A number of rural counties particularly in the north still have high percentages of unpaved roads.
One way that Florida's counties help to support roads is through the sale of license plates. The standard Florida license plates have an outline of the state, and the license number on them can be personalized. Besides personalized plates, Florida issues a number of specialty plates. Each of the state universities has its own plate. Currently the most popular specialty plate commemorates the spaceÊshuttle ChallengerÊtragedy. Sales of a more recently issued one in defense of the manatee, however, are growing much faster than sales of Challenger plates.
