A 17-member volunteer task force will pick up where two previous task forces left off — drilling down into the details of tackling traffic issues along State Road 54/State Road 56.
Much of the discussion is expected to center on traffic issues at State Road 54 and Little Road, and at State Road 54 and U.S. 41.
Little Road is seen as more typical of congested intersections in the county.
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The U.S. 41 intersection, however, stands out because more than 100,000 vehicles pass through daily.
“It’s the most congested one in the whole county that we have,” said Ali Atefi, transportation engineer with Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.
This is the second of a three-part study to find traffic solutions to ease congestion, improve safety and increase mobility along a corridor that has been a magnet for new residential and commercial development.
The entire study area includes the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east and U.S. 19 on the west.
Three meetings will be held in 2017, with the first on April 20 at Rasmussen College. Additional meetings will be scheduled in 2018 to fully complete the study’s second phase.
As part of these efforts, the Florida Department of Transportation is expected to fund a detailed analysis and evaluation of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection, likely in 2018.
It is the only segment with funding, but Atefi said additional money is being sought for other road segments, including Little Road.
Many members of this task force participated in the West Task Force and East Task Force that kicked off meetings in late 2015. They met separately to consider different segments of the roadway.
In April 2016, the task forces made almost identical recommendations after considering 19 alternatives.
At the April 20 meeting, Atefi said, “We’ll give them feedback on where we are now. And, we want to reconcile all of the alternatives and have one list moving forward.”
Initial solutions included redesigning roads at ground level, building flyovers, using frontage roads and by-passes, and a no-build option.
Three or four alternatives will be chosen from a recommended list of six major highway and transit alternatives, five complementary alternatives, and a no-build option.
Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s MPO, FDOT, and consultants from AECOM will be on hand to take comments and answer questions.
What: Vision 54/56 Phase 2 Task Force meeting
Where: Rasmussen College, 18600 Fernview St., Land O’ Lakes
When: April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free, open to the public
Published April 12, 2017
