The Florida Turnpike Enterprise has begun its preliminary design and engineering (PD&E) study for the widening of the Suncoast Parkway, from Van Dyke Road in Hillsborough County to north of State Road 52, in Pasco County.
That’s just one of the pieces of news to emerge during the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s May 11 board meeting.
Scott Ferry, a principal transportation planner for the Pasco MPO, mentioned the Suncoast Parkway study, while presenting the board’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) report.
He also said that Todd Vande Berg, a TAC member, and the planning director for the City of Zephyrhills, summarized a recent meeting before the Florida Department of Transportation, the city of Zephyrhills and Pasco County’s engineering services.
During that meeting, the proposed State Road 56 extension was discussed, as well as a second route option for the extension.
The second option incorporates Chancey Road and County Road 54 to connect State Road 56 to U.S. 98, Ferry said.
The state transportation department will present its findings to the Zephyrhills City Council and the Pasco County Commission, Ferry said.
Randy Stovall, representing the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, thanked the Pasco MPO board for its previous discussion regarding the need to take steps to improve safety for bicyclists using multi-use trails alongside roads.
One idea is to add trees, which would provide shade and add an element of separation between the road and the trail.
Committee members have “talked about providing some sort of physical barrier, when at all possible, between a roadway and a bicycle path,” Stovall said.
Committee members also would like to hear more from the public regarding routing decisions affecting the future Orange Belt Trail.
“We really are encouraging people to go to that OrangeBeltTrail.com website because there are several different route decisions that have to be made,” Stovall said.
Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said some people want to avoid being in the Orange Belt Trail’s path.
“I’ve met with some folks and they don’t want it to be a certain route,” Oakley said.
Stovall thinks a visit to the website will help people get a better understanding of the plan.
Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey is an avid advocate for trails. In her view, they help people get around, provide an outlet for recreation and create economic opportunity.
Starkey also noted that she put the Orange Belt Trail on the state opportunity map back when Gov. Jeb Bush was in office.
Creating the project should be a high priority because it’s part of the SUN Trail network.
“The (Florida) Coast-to-Coast Trail and the Orange Belt are SUN Trail eligible. That is a different pot of money,” Starkey said.
The Pasco County MPO board is made up of elected leaders from Pasco County and the cities of New Port Richey, Port Richey, Dade City and Zephyrhills. It is the lead transportation planning agency for Pasco County.
Published May 17, 2023
