The Laker/Lutz News

Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Busy intersection subject of public meeting

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Those interested in the future of the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54 are invited to attend a public meeting this week to discuss possible options for improvement.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven is hosting the meeting, which is set for Sept. 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54, in Lutz.

Virtual attendance also is available, but registration is required to participate online.

To register, visit the project’s website: https://active.fdotd7studies.com/sr54/us41-at-sr54/.

This aerial view shows the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54. During morning and afternoon rush hours, there are significant backups at the busy intersection in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

The FDOT is holding the workshop to give people who are interested the opportunity to provide comments concerning the traffic patterns, design, and social, economic and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

In addition to the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, the project study will include areas adjacent to the intersection along the two major roads, according to FDOT materials.

State Road 54 is one of two existing major east-west arterials connecting eastern Pasco County to western Pasco County.

The need for this project has been established based on future traffic demands, future population and employment growth in the area, according to FDOT materials.

Improvements at the U.S. 41/State Road 54 intersection are included in the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 2035 Cost Affordable Long Range Transportation Plan, as well as the 2035 Regional Long Range Transportation Plan Needs Assessment, which was developed by the West Central Florida MPO’s Chairs Coordinating Committee.

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate various alternatives for the U.S. 41/State Road 54 intersection, which will improve the flow of people and goods through the project area by increasing roadway capacity and reducing traffic congestion.

The study will compare the effects each alternative may have on the environment and the surrounding communities, as well as the traveling public, according to FDOT materials.

Across Pasco County, State Road 54 provides connections to several regional north-south routes including U.S. 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, Interstate 75, U.S. 301 and U.S. 98, the FDOT materials note.

“The proposed improvements at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54 will enhance the overall transportation network linking Pasco County with the Tampa Bay region,” according to FDOT materials.

The options being considered are:

  • Alternative 1: A single-point urban intersection (SPUI), providing an interchange with State Road 54, elevated over U.S. 41.
  • Alternative 2: A parallel flow intersection (PFI), providing displaced left-turns, in all four approaches at grade.
  • Alternative 3: A continuous flow intersection (CFI), with elevated lanes of State Road 54 over U.S. 41, providing displaced left-turns in all four approaches.

There also is a no-build alternative.

Department representatives will be available at the in-person public workshop beginning at 5:30 p.m., to answer questions and discuss the project informally.

Draft project documents and other project-related materials also will be displayed, and a PowerPoint video presentation will run continuously during the workshop.

State Road 54 runs east-west, and had an average daily traffic count of 63,000 in 2019, according to FDOT figures; U.S. 41 runs north-south, and had average daily traffic counts of 69,000 in 2019.

In addition to existing traffic, there’s significant growth underway in Central Pasco, with more on the way. Plus, State Road 54 is an evacuation route when hurricanes threaten.

In evaluating alternatives, the state looks at the improvements based on such issues as traffic operations, safety, right of way needs and environmental impacts, among others.

Once a build alternative is selected, the next phase is the Project Design & Environmental (PD&E) Study phase, and then the design phase.

The PD&E would be conducted in 2021 to 2022; design, from 2022 to 2024; right of way acquisition from 2025 to 2026.

Construction of this project is not yet funded, according to the project web page.

For more information or to comment, please contact Kirk Bogen, an environmental management engineer for FDOT, at 813-975-6448, 800-226-7220 or .

Published September 15, 2021

Pasco MPO plans to launch to three planning studies

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization plans to embark on three studies aimed at improving opportunities for the county to attract state and federal funding.

One will focus on Pasco County’s Freight Transportation Plan, a second will zero in on d the Zephyrhills Multiuse Path and the third will focus on the U.S. 19 corridor in West Pasco.

Carl Mikyska, executive director of Pasco MPO, described the importance of the freight study this way: “We are a county that has a number of great opportunities. I want to use that freight plan to not only improve freight access and mobility, while preserving the quality of life for our residents, I want to use it as an economic attractor tool — to grow, to develop in a manner that’s careful, but increases our tax base.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano also seized on the potential: “That spur up in Lacoochee should be a part of that study.”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley also reiterated comments he’d made previously about the potential for the Lacoochee area.

Mikyska also talked about the need — when conducting corridor studies — to consider a variety of perspectives.

When looking at the U.S. 19 corridor, for instance, the examination must go beyond traffic and congestion, he said.

Corridor studies define the conditions of the route, what options may be available to address safety, congestion, or other mobility needs and what limitations may be present, according to the MPO board’s Aug. 12 backup materials. Examples of limitations might include environmental conditions that should be avoided and/or the need to purchase right-of-way.

Planning studies are used to determine which transportation alternatives may be advanced and which alternatives may be eliminated from further consideration. Planning-level studies of corridors also help to more carefully define anticipated improvement project costs, the backup materials say.

Besides approving the proposed corridor studies, the transportation planning board also agreed with Mikyska’s suggestion to join MetroPlan Orlando in its efforts to extend its Transportation System Management & Operations (TSM&O) system.

MetroPlan, which is the MPO organization for Orlando, has been working on its system for years and seeks to extend it from Daytona Beach, on the Atlantic Coast over to the Tampa metro region on the Gulf Coast.

The TSM&O approach involves using technology to improve the performance of the transportation system rather than through more expensive options, such as roadway widening, according to agenda backup materials.

Examples of TSM&O include dynamic message signs on the interstate warning of traffic congestion ahead, traveling in a corridor at the speed limit with consistent green signals, and cable infrastructure to assist with broadband connectivity, the agenda materials say.

The idea is to use those strategies, in a coordinated fashion, to keep traffic flowing.

The Pasco MPO board approved Mikyska’s request to participate, with the only expected cost to be the expenditure of staff time.

On another item, the MPO board approved a scope of work for a study at the intersection of State Road 52 and Adair Road.

The Pasco MPO, in cooperation with the City of Dade City and the Florida Department of Transportation has identified the need to evaluate implementation of traffic control measures at the intersection, where additional traffic is expected because of increased residential development nearby.

Federal Transportation Planning Grant Funds will be used to pay for the $29,345.01 study.

Published September 01, 2021

State roads department offers update on halted Pasco projects

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Florida Department of Transportation District Seven Secretary David Gwynn recently gave an update on the status of state road projects that recently halted operations.

Gwynn gave the update during the Aug. 12 board meeting of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The Pasco MPO — made up of representatives of Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey — is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County.

Work has stopped on a diverging diamond project that is being done in Wesley Chapel, which is expected to ease traffic at State Road 56 and Interstate 75, once the work is finished. An estimated completion date on the project has not been determined. (File)

Gwynn told the MPO board members: “We had seven projects in our district, three of them in Pasco County, that DAB Contractors either were defaulted on — which was the DDI (Diverging Diamond Interchange) — or self-defaulted, which included State Road 52 and State Road 54.

“After that occurred, we met with our surety company — more or less the bondholder.

“I can tell you the surety has been very responsive so far,” he said.

He expressed confidence that once the surety company awards a bid on the contract, the contractor will “try to get this project not only going, but accelerating as quickly as possible.”

Gwynn also noted: “We’re also working with our maintenance contractor to ensure that the project sites are secured. I’ve noticed recently that some of the vegetation in some of the areas is starting to grow pretty high, so we’re out there with our forces, mowing them. In fact, we’re doing (State Road) 54, I think, today.

“The surety has let me know the direction they’ve given their people is that they need to get these contracts going as soon as possible because they’re also held to the same penalties as DAB would have been held to for being late. In other words, the end date of the contract doesn’t change. They’ll get penalized for every day they don’t meet, based on that original contract.

“I’m very optimistic that very soon we’ll have contractors on board working on those projects.

“When you look at some of the other construction projects we have around in Pasco County and around the district, a lot of the contractors are ahead of schedule. The State Road 52 realignment project is almost a year ahead of schedule, with Superior Construction.

“The Overpass Road Interchange is ahead of construction, so I think there’s capacity out there to get other good contractors and get these jobs moving forward.”

Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the FDOT District Seven Office, provided an Aug. 13 update regarding the status of the projects.

The surety company and the FDOT have executed a takeover agreement regarding the diverging diamond project, as of Aug. 12, according to Carson’s update.

The receipt of bids for the project had been scheduled for Aug. 12, but was moved back to Aug. 18, to provide more information and give more contractors an opportunity to compete for the work.

Mowing and general maintenance has been completed throughout the project limits.

Also, the number of temporary traffic control devices have been reduced to the minimum required to maintain a safe work zone, the update adds.

Regarding the State Road 52 project, from Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41: A representative with the surety met with an FDOT representative onside to assess the status of the project, on Aug. 11. The FDOT has completed uploading all of the documentation requested by the surety and the takeover documents are with the surety, for its execution.

Regarding the widening of State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road: A representative with the surety met with a FDOT representative onsite to assess the status of the project, on Aug. 11. The FDOT has completed uploading all of the project documentation requested by the surety. The takeover documents are currently with the surety for its execution.

The FDOT has completed mowing throughout the project area. Additional maintenance of driveway access to business on the west side of Eiland/State Road 54 is planned to be completed within the next two weeks, according to the Aug. 13 update.

The surety will be responsible for meeting the original contract requirements, and the FDOT retains the responsibility to ensure the surety meets its obligations, the FDOT document adds.

Published August 18, 2021

Pasco board considers road priorities

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will be identifying its list of priority projects at its June 10 meeting.

The list includes projects that are included on the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) from 2022 to 2027, which includes projects that are funded and those not yet funded.

The list also includes projects that are not part of the TIP, but are considered to be priorities by the MPO, which is responsible for updating the priority list, which in turns provides guidance to the Florida Department of Transportation, in developing its developing its tentative work program.

During a workshop session, MPO Executive Director Carl Mikyska explained: “The first year of the TIP is actually part of the proposed budget. That means the Legislature has actually adopted the list of projects.

“At this point, the budget has been passed by the Legislature. I do not believe it has been signed by the governor.

“While years two through five are considered for planning purposes, you can consider them to be fairly solid planning. A project in year two is likely to then advance next year into the first year and be part of the proposed budget. DOT has to work on a cash flow basis. If their cash flow rises or falls, due to fluctuations in the economy, you may see minor changes to it.

“DOT does not put projects in year two, year three, etc., that they do not intend to advance forward,” he said.

“Projects in the TIP include Florida DOT projects, as well as our local projects, and this is a federal requirement.

“The projects cover the whole gamut from safety, all of the way down to capacity improvements,” Mikyska said.

“Those projects are based on our priorities here at the MPO, as well as the ones for the region,” he said.

Mikyska identified some of the significant projects that are included in the five-year plan.

Within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, these include:

Significant projects

  • State Road 52, from east of U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff

“Construction is scheduled in 2026. Right of way is in there from Ehren Cutoff to Bellamy Brothers Road, and while we do note that construction is not funded, I do note for our board that the DOT does not purchase right of way for projects they have no intention of building.

“I would anticipate that that would appear as a construction project in one of future TIPs.

  • State Road 52, at North 21st Street, from Church Avenue to Suwannee, in Dade City

A roundabout is scheduled for construction in 2026.

  • State Road 52, at College Avenue/Pompanic

A roundabout is scheduled for design/build in 2023.

Resurfacing projects

  • State Road 52 from Meridian Avenue, from west of Storch Lane to U.S. 98/U.S. 301, in 2022
  • U.S. 301 to Hillsborough County line, south of State Road 39, in 2023
  • State Road 54, from U.S. 41 to Knights Road, in 2023.
  • U.S. 41, from the Hillsborough County line to Bell Lake Road, in 2023

Lighting projects

  • U.S. 301, from Tucker Road to Pretty Pond Road, in 2024
  • State Road 56, Willow Oak Drive to The Shops at Wiregrass mall entrance, 2023
  • State Road 56, at The Shops at Wiregrass entrance to Meadow Pointe Boulevard, 2023

Pedestrian and bicycle projects

  • State Road 54, from west of Mitchell Place Plaza entrance to Marathon Drive — a complete streets project, in 2023
  • School Road, from Community Center to U.S. 41 — a multi-use path, 2026
  • Orange Belt, in 2025

Those were just some of the highlights, Mikyska said, noting the projects range from aviation to planning.

MPO board members raised some questions about projects that are part of the list, but not necessarily in the order they’d like to see them in.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said she’s disappointed that the roundabout planned in Dade City is not expected to be constructed until 2026.

“We were told, not too long ago, that we were looking at a 2024 date.

“I just found out from staff yesterday that it was moved from 2024 to 2026 for construction,” Hernandez said.

The planned roundabout in St. Leo/San Antonio is equally needed, Hernandez said; she just wishes the one in her community had not been pushed back.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked if it would make sense to do the Meridian roundabout sooner than the one at College Avenue and Pompanic, which is slated for 2023.

However, a staff member of the DOT told the MPO that the shift to 2026 was related to design and right of way issues.

Starkey offered an optimistic thought: “When the Clinton Avenue extension opens, maybe we’ll see a drop in the traffic there. So, maybe that will help a little bit.”

Starkey also asked: “Did you show the 54/41 (State Road 54/U.S. 41) fix anywhere on here?”

Jensen Hackett, of FDOT, told Starkey the project is partially funded for right of way through 2025.

It is not yet clear how FDOT will proceed at that intersection, he added.

“I believe that they’re waiting for a couple of the traffic data to come in,” he said.

Starkey said that intersection needs to be addressed.

“That’s of great interest to everybody in the county,” she said.

Starkey added: “Of course, we think that when Ridge Road opens up, that will eliminate some of the suffering down there.”

Starkey also asked about the status of the design for an overpass that is planned at State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway.

Tina Russo, of the MPO’s staff, told Starkey: “We’re finishing up the preliminary design.”

In addition to the TIP, there’s also a long list of priority projects that do not yet have an identified source of funding.

Published May 19, 2021

Zephyrhills councilmembers retain seats

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The names and faces on the Zephyrhills City Council will remain familiar — but some titles are changing.

Incumbent councilmembers Charles Proctor and Jodi Wilkeson have been reelected to new three-year terms, both running unopposed in the 2021 municipal election.

Charles Proctor

They each took the oath of office, in a swearing-in ceremony conducted by City Clerk Lori Hillman during a special meeting on April 15 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

Other members on the voting council include Ken Burgess, Alan Knight and Lance Smith. Mayor Gene Whitfield also sits on the dais, though he doesn’t run council meetings, cannot make motions and cannot vote on matters before the council. He does, however, have veto power on city ordinances.

While the composition of the council didn’t change, there was a reorganization, with Knight selected to serve as council president, and Wilkeson as vice president.

Councilmember liaison appointments were finalized, too.

Burgess will serve on the Pasco County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Proctor, on Ridge League of Cities; Smith and Whitfield, on Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); and Wilkeson, on Main Street Zephyrhills.

Proctor begins his fifth term on Council Seat 5.

He was elected to his first term back in 2011, when he defeated then incumbent Manny Funes.

Proctor has owned an auto detailing and coin collection shop on Eighth Street for about three decades.

A native of Portland, Maine, Proctor moved to Florida in 1989, where he quickly landed a job washing cars and as a butcher, before launching his own businesses in Zephyrhills within a couple years.

Jodi Wilkeson

Wilkeson likewise is no stranger to the city’s governing dais — beginning her fifth term — having been elected to a three-year term April 2018 and also previously serving from 2008 to 2014.

She lost Seat 2 in the 2014 municipal election to Knight, a retired educator, but assumed Seat 3 in 2018 after defeating candidates Devon Alexander and Cory Sommers. She took over for outgoing member Kent Compton, who did not file for reelection that cycle.

Wilkeson is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa.

She’s held numerous volunteer roles over the years, previously serving on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission and Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board.

Besides her council duties, Wilkeson is board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The mayor and city council serve as representatives of the electors of the City of Zephyrhills, and are responsible for establishing the direction and policies of all affairs of the city.

Their primary duties include exercising legislative leadership and policy to promulgate the laws and ordinances of the city, approving an annual budget to provide for the needs and services of the city, setting policy and direction for the various functions of city government, and appointing citizens to serve on various advisory boards and committees.

Council members each receive $6,000 annually for their duties.
It’s undoubtedly a busy time inside city hall — navigating the East Pasco town’s rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the council’s recent and future undertakings include:

• Managing the addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits

• Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center

• Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road

• Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

• Overhaul of the city’s 911 dispatch communications system

Zephyrhills City Council
Seat 1: Lance Smith
Seat 2: Alan Knight
Seat 3: Jodi Wilkeson
Seat 4: Ken Burgess
Seat 5: Charles Proctor
Mayor: Gene Whitfield

Published April 28, 2021

Pasco MPO has new executive director

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has a new executive director.

Carl Mikyska assumed the helm of the organization in March, and took part in his first MPO board meeting on April 8.

Nectarios Pittos, who had been serving as the interim executive director, shared some of Mikyska’s background with MPO board members before turning the meeting over to him.

Mikyska was selected after a lengthy search, said Pittos, who is Pasco County’s director of planning.

Prior to coming to the Pasco MPO, Mikyska was the executive director of the Florida MPO Advisory Council.

That job involved collaborating with the 27 MPOs in the state of Florida, he said.

Before that, Mikyska said he worked with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Chicago MPO and the Federal Highway Administration. His experience in the transportation field dates back to 1990.

He told the Pasco MPO board members: “I’m active in our national associations and hope to continue to do so, to represent the interests of Florida, particularly as we look at federal policy.”

Randy Stovall, of the Pasco MPO board’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), told the board that at its meeting, BPAC was “most interested in the item of building some wildlife culverts under S.R. (State Road) 52,” which had been discussed by the board at its last meeting.

“Our ears perk up when we think: Is there an opportunity for some kind of a public use there? Some walking? Some bike riding? Whenever culverts come up, there’s an opportunity, perhaps,” Stovall said.

He also shared that information from the county, regarding the intention to build some restrooms at the junction of Starkey Trail and Suncoast Trail.

“Certainly, that’s very well-received. I think there’s a need there that will be served,” Stovall said.

He said that BPAC was informed of a strategy that involves building segments of the Orange Belt Trail — rather than waiting for all of the funding to be available before getting started.

“I thought that made a lot of sense,” Stovall said.

“We also received an update about the Hardy Trail here in Dade City and the Withlacoochee Trail to the north, and the (U.S.) 301 Trail to the south, and related to that, I’ll just say, some of us attended the groundbreaking here on Dade City, here on March 10, for the new bike hub

visitor center that’s going to be constructed about two blocks from here (Historic Pasco County Courthouse), in the center of the Hardy Trail.

“That will provide really a good stop for people. Bathrooms and other facilities if they wish to stop here, and go up and down the trail — particularly with those connections to the north and south,” Stovall said.

Kurt Scheible, Pasco County Public Transportation director, also updated board members on a few issues.

He told them his department is getting ready to purchase three more vehicles through the Florida Department of Transportation. By doing that, they’ll be able to pay $9,000 versus $90,000 a vehicle, he said.

He also reported: “We’re still seeing some of the effect of COVID, but we’re starting to see some of the numbers rise up. It looks like our ridership is starting to recover, slowly but surely.”

The county bus system also is planning to take a look at all of its service areas, through a route contraction/route expansion study.

As part of that, the department plans to look into adding some transit in Dade City, St. Leo/San Antonio and south of Zephyrhills in the Crystal Springs area, he said.

“We really haven’t moved the transit routes around in a long, long time,” Scheible said.

But, he noted that significant input will be sought from all stakeholders during that process.

The Pasco County MPO is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County that serves the following municipalities in Pasco: Zephyrhills, San Antonio, St. Leo, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City.

According to federal and state laws, the Pasco County MPO is responsible for establishing a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process for Pasco County. Key responsibilities include the creation of the 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan, the five-year Unified Planning Work Program and the five-year Transportation Improvement program.

Published April 21, 2021

MPO approves work related to traffic counts

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Rapid growth in Pasco County has prompted the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization to approve spending over $29,000 to research where and how often traffic counts should be taken.

Knowing how many vehicles are traveling down a road is essential information for future planning of roads, developments and various services. Here’s a look at a backup of traffic heading east on State Road 54, waiting at a traffic signal at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. (File)

“Given the rapid change to Pasco County — and the need to have current traffic counts — we deem it necessary to go ahead and establish a methodology for siting county locations and frequency of those counts,” Carl Mikyska, executive director of the Pasco MPO told the board, during its April 8 meeting.

“This contract is to do that work, and then ultimately we will have a series, or a set of locations, for traffic counts and a schedule of how frequently those counts should be conducted,” Mikyska said.

Board members approved paying a lump sum fee for $29,076.68 to Tindale Oliver & Associates Inc., to complete the work. The company is a general planning consultant for the MPO.

Traffic counts — which quantify traffic volume along the roadway network — can be documented over a period of years and can identify locations of high growth areas that impact the transportation network, according to background materials in the MPO’s agenda packet.

Traffic counts are used for many purposes, including roadway planning, congestion management, development approvals, traffic operations and capital improvement planning.

The scope of services to be provided by Tindale Oliver includes:

  • A review of existing traffic count data collection by the MPO and its partners including Pasco County Departments and agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation
  • A review of traffic count locations in Pasco County, and recommend and create updated traffic count locations
  • Develop a traffic count methodology

The project is expected to kick off in early May and be completed by Aug. 31.

Published April 21, 2021

Perils on Pasco roads continue to climb

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The number of miles being driven in Pasco County has climbed significantly in recent years, and the number of transportation-related injuries and deaths has risen, too.

That’s the gist of a report presented by Gina Torres, an active transportation planner II, to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) on Feb. 11.

Since 2017, MPOs have been required by federal law to adopt Safety Performance Measure Targets (PM1) by Feb. 27. To meet the requirements of Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, the measures must be date-driven, realistic and achievable, not aspirational, Torres told MPO members.

Torres covered the report’s five required safety performance measures, which apply to all public roads.

“We use a five-year rolling total to really give you a good snapshot because we’ve actually seen particular years, for some reason, really jump up or down. So that doesn’t really give you a good idea of what’s going on. So, we base these numbers on a five-year range and we do that so you get a little bit better idea of how we are doing, better or worse,” Russo said.

Based on all public roads, the five-year annual average ending in 2019 showed an increase in the number of fatalities, Torres said. At the same time, though, the number of miles driven increased greatly, she said.

A chart in the agenda backup materials shows that the number of miles driven in the Pasco MPO’s jurisdiction rose from 44.2 million miles in 2015 to 55 million miles in 2019.

“I call it a law of percentages, if you have a lot more people driving, a lot more miles, our fatalities are going to go up,” Torres said.

The Pasco MPO data shows a slight trend downward in the five-year rolling average for number of serious injuries. The number went from an average of 1,133 (2014-2018) to an average of 1,192 (2015-2019), for a decrease of 1.2%. The rate of serious injuries during those same time frames went from 24.556 per million miles driven to 23.197 per million miles driven, for a drop of 5.5%.

However, the trend is up for fatalities, during the same time frames went from an average of 86.8 (2014-2018) to 92.2 (2015-2019), for a 6.2% increase in the number, and the rate went from 1.856 per million miles driven to 1.883 per million miles driven, for a 1.5% increase.

“What’s really ironic, our fatalities went up, our injuries went down,” Torres said. “Some of the professionals think that the injuries may have gone down because vehicles are being made to be safer.” But, she added, “that’s speculation.”

“Speed management has been one of the biggest issues with fatalities,” Russo said.

“If you have that higher speed, there’s a good chance you’re not going to survive that crash.”

Pasco also showed a slight trend upward for bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries, which went from an average of 121.8 (2014-201) to 122.8 (2015-2019), for an increase of 0.8%.

The number of pedestrian fatalities outnumbers the number of bicyclists who have been killed, Russo noted.

Pasco County MPO expects an eventual trend downward for all categories by implementing  safety projects and programs, re-thinking priorities, and possibly allocating additional funds toward safety projects and programs, according to the agenda background materials.

Under federal funding requirements, both the county’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and its annual Transportation Improvement Program project list must discuss how recommended or listed projects advance progress toward meeting the targets.

Russo told the MPO board members that the staff’s recommended goal is to maintain the targets from 2019, which the board approved.

Transportation planning and programming are the primary functions of Pasco’s MPO, which is  the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County. It serves Zephyrhills, San Antonio, St. Leo, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City.

Published February 24, 2021

Input sought on 301/98/Clinton Avenue realignment

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Efforts are underway to enhance a busy and sometimes dangerous roadway intersection that passes through Dade City and unincorporated Pasco County.

The Florida Department of Transportation has developed five possible alternative corridor alignments, to alleviate the traffic issues where U.S. 301 and U.S. 98 merge and intersect with Clinton Avenue. A so-called Corridor B is viewed as the best option. Public comment on the alternative corridor project is being accepted through Nov. 25. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 office has developed and unveiled recommended corridor realignment improvements for the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection — via the agency’s Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) process.

A virtual public information presentation was released on Nov. 4 online. This meeting provided an opportunity to review the corridor alternatives and provide input.

Proposed improvements seek to:

  • Eliminate the current closely spaced intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue
  • Facilitate east/west travel
  • Maximize the benefits of the improvements to Clinton Avenue and designation as State Road 52 west of U.S. 301
  • Enhance safety along the corridor

With those objectives in mind, five proposed corridor options were developed in FDOT’s ACE study, which were shared in detail in the prerecorded online presentation.

Each of the proposed corridor routes are 250 feet wide to allow for flexibility in developing proposed alignments that avoid potential constraints. It also is anticipated that a four-lane, expandable to six-lane — in divided sections — will be developed for corridor consistency.

The closely spaced major intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue are only 1,500 feet apart and have roadways with high traffic volume. Traveling through the area requires turning and weaving movements that result in crash rates that exceed the statewide average, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

From the five alignment alternatives, the state transportation department is recommending the Corridor B option, to proceed to the project development and environmental (PD&E) study.

The 1.91-mile Corridor B route begins approximately 485 feet north of Townsend Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north along the east side of mobile home parks along Wilds Roads, until it ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301.

The corridor, according to FDOT, “will impact primarily rural and farmland properties as well as a few residential properties, concentrated at the northern end of the proposed realignment.” The total cost of the recommended corridor alignment is estimated between $27.8 million and $38.3 million, according to the presentation.

Here are the other proposed corridor alternatives studied:

  • Corridor A — 0.88-mile route begins approximately 3,300 feet southeast of the intersection of U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north, and ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301
  • Corridor C — 3.48-mile route begins approximately 725 feet northeast of the overpass of U.S. 98 and Old Lakeland Highway, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north, mirroring the existing geometry of Old Lakeland Highway until it ties into Clinton Avenue
  • Corridor D — 0.80-mile route begins approximately 350 north of the entrance to the Grove Ridge RV resort and diverts U.S. 98 to the west, and continues until it intersect U.S. 301 at an existing median opening
  • Corridor E — 1.47-mile route begins approximately at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Jim Jordan Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the west, and continues until it intersects U.S. 301

How the corridors compare
The state’s presentation summarized the drawbacks of those corridors, as compared to Corridor B.

This is the Florida Department of Transportation’s recommended alternative for the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection, referred to as Corridor B. The 1.91-mile route begins approximately 485 feet north of Townsend Road, and diverts U.S. 98 to the north along the east side of mobile home parks along Wilds Roads, until it ties into Clinton Avenue, east of U.S. 301. Cost is estimated between $27.8 million and $38.3 million. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

Corridors D and E “do not meet the purpose and need criterion of eliminating the closely spaced major intersections and are proposed for elimination from consideration.”

Corridor C “has the greatest involvement with the natural, social, cultural and physical environment, engineering issues,” the presentation said. Corridor A “has greater social impacts (than Corridor B), including the potential relocations and potential effects to the Harmony Heights and South Clinton Heights communities,” it added.

Corridor A has an estimated project cost from just under $13 million to $17.5 million, while Corridor C comes in at a projected cost between just below $51 million to $69.4 million.

Public comments on Corridor B and other alternatives will be received through Nov. 25, and can be made by visiting FDOTd7Studies.com/US301US98INT/ or emailing FDOT District 7 project manager Brian Shroyer at .

The next steps in the project development process include the PD&E phase, design phase, right of way acquisition and then construction.

There’s no set time frame on the project, but it’s anticipated construction wouldn’t begin for at least several more years.

PascThe PD&E study should be ready sometime in early 2022, Shroyer wrote in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

The PD&E phase would look at the road width, number of lanes, sidewalks and trails that may be necessary.

Then, depending on if funding is secured for right of way and construction during that time, it could take a couple years after that before shovel hits dirt, Shroyer said.

Reasons for intersection improvements
District 7 of FDOT initiated the planning phase of the U.S. 301/U.S. 98/Clinton Avenue intersection project in early 2019.

The U.S. 98 intersection realignment is listed among the needs detailed in the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Mobility 2045 long-range transportation plan.

Efforts are underway to seek an alternative corridor where U.S. 301 and U.S. 98 merge and intersect with Clinton Avenue in Dade City and unincorporated Pasco County. The new roadway is aimed at easing traffic and reducing accidents. (File)

The virtual presentation — which remains available online on FDOT’s website — outlined the necessity for alterations to the busy intersection.

It was explained how the closely spaced major intersections of U.S. 301 at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 at Clinton Avenue are only 1,500 feet apart and have roadways with high traffic volume (feeder and receiver roadway segments have an annual average daily traffic of 5,000 vehicles or greater).

Because of this, traveling through the area requires turning and weaving movements that result in crash rates that exceed the statewide average, the presentation explained.

The data shows that the  closely spaced intersections have crash rates that exceed the statewide average.

Between 2013 to 2017, the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 intersection saw 68 crashes, while the U.S. 301/Clinton Avenue intersection saw 72 crashes during that period, according to FDOT studies.

Furthermore, the realignment of State Road 52 from east of McKendree Road to east of U.S. 301 will serve as an additional east/west route in the regional transportation network. Because of this, traffic at the U.S.301/U.S 98 and U.S 301/Clinton Avenue intersections is anticipated to increase, exacerbating the current intersection safety concerns, according to the presentation.

Maps, drawings, and other information are available for review under the documents tab on the project website, fdotd7studies.com/US301US98INT/.

Plans also can be viewed in person at:

  • The FDOT District 7 Headquarters, 11201 N. Malcolm McKinley Drive in Tampa
  • Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City

Published November 18, 2020

Zephyrhills can handle COVID-19 budget impacts

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Cities and towns across the country are gearing up for budget cuts because of prolonged COVID-19 shutdowns, but that isn’t true in Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said the city is in good enough shape financially to handle any lingering effects of the shutdown for the rest of this fiscal year, and for next fiscal year, too.

He provided that reassuring news to city council members at their regular meeting on June 8.

Councilman Charles Proctor was elevated to the role of council president at a June 8 regular meeting. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Although state revenues shared with local governments could be reduced by 50% for the months of April, May and June, Poe said that’s “not a super larger part” of the city’s roughly $66 million budget.

The city had larger-than-anticipated revenues at the beginning of the year, which helps to offset lower state revenues, Poe said.

He also noted that some big-ticket purchase items came in under budget.

Plus, the city has flexibility to slow down some city projects that are less critical, he said.

“Talking to the finance director I think we’re going to be OK,” the city manager told the council. “There’s some money that we can move around, so there will be a decrease, but I think we’re going to be OK,” Poe said.

Meanwhile, as the city prepares its 2020-21 fiscal year budget, Poe has directed city department heads “to really hold the line” when prioritizing needs and projects.

Besides the negative revenue impacts caused by COVID-19, the city also is facing higher health care and retirement costs for next fiscal year.

The millage rate will be set during the first week in July. The city will hold two public hearings on its budget, which must be adopted by Oct. 1.

On the upside, the city manager noted a preliminary estimate from the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office shows the taxable value of the city up about $42 million, with $35.7 million in new construction value.

“What it’ll do is offset some of those reductions from the state, those lost revenues as a result of COVID-19,” said Poe.

Council swearing-in, reorganization
Like other government organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Zephyrhills City Council to hold virtual call-in meetings over the past two months or so.

That all changed June 8, when council members gathered inside the Zephyrhills City Hall chambers, for the first time since March 23.

The move came at an appropriate time, as City Clerk Lori Hillman administered the oath of office to Mayor Gene Whitfield and Councilman Alan Knight, who retained their seats since being declared elected unopposed.

Whitfield has held the mayor chair since 2014, when Danny Burgess resigned to run as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee. Whitfield has owned Whitfield Funeral Home in Zephyrhills the past 25 years. He also is former director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Knight, first elected to Council Seat 2 in 2014, is a retired educator who’s worked mainly in Pasco County Schools as a teacher, coach and administrator.

The swearing-in ceremony also coincided with some council reorganization, which happens each year.

Council Vice President Charlie Proctor was elevated to the role of council president, taking over for Councilman Ken Burgess. Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson was appointed council vice president.

As council president, Proctor will be responsible for signing official city documents and chairing council meetings, otherwise serving as the leading voice in business agenda items. He last served as council president in 2014.

Proctor commended Burgess.

Said Proctor, “First of all, I would like to thank former Council President Ken Burgess for doing an amazing job this past year. We really had a rough year, a lot of tough decisions we had to make as a council. Not only that, we had to go through this virus that had us meet online, and it was very difficult, and I think Council President Burgess did an amazing job, along with our staff.”

Liaison appointments were decided, too. Burgess was chosen to sit on the Pasco County Tourist Development Council (TDC), in addition to serving as an officer with The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce. Other roles remained in place — Proctor serving on the Ridge League of Cities; Wilkeson on Main Street Zephyrhills; and Councilman Lance Smith on the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), with the mayor serving as an alternate.

The council also:

• Approved the last plat for Silverado Ranch subdivision, otherwise known as Phases 10B and 11C, situated on the northern boundary of the development

• Accepted an $85,000 facilities grant United States Tennis Center (USTA), for costs related to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, 6585 Simons Road, Zephyrhills. The nearly $5 million project is slated to open in July and will include 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, among other features.

• Passed a second reading ordinance and public hearing consenting to the inclusion of the city’s boundaries into the Pasco County Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for fire rescue services.

Published June 17, 2020