Pasco transportation engineer Ali Atefi has said almost from the beginning of the “Vision 54/56” Taskforce that he didn’t want the focus during Phase I to be on how any recommendations would be paid for.
That would come later, Atefi said. He simply wanted the best choices forwarded to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), which would then send the Taskforce to Phase II.
But, it didn’t take long for the concern of how to pay for the top choice — which, along with a handful of other choices studied by the Taskforce, has a toll road – came up at the Taskforce’s presentation to the MPO.
The work of the 54/56 Taskforce will go on, however, as Phase II was approved by the MPO, but not before a few eyebrows were raised by Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
“I think, as a whole, we have to do something,’’ said District 2 commissioner and vice chairman Mike Moore. “Something has to be figured out, and it was great to see so many people involved in the process. I appreciate that. But, everyone wasn’t in total agreement (about) the options.”
Atefi said he was pleased the 54/56 Taskforce will remain together, but said District 5 commissioner Jack Mariano expressed concerns over any potential toll roads and District 1 commissioner Ted Schrader questioned whether or not the recommendation was from the Taskforce, and not the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
Mariano also has voiced his opposition to the Tampa Bay Express (TBX) project that would add an express toll lane to much of Tampa Bay’s interstate system.
“Commissioner Mariano thinks that this is the path that we are going (down), but at this time, I personally don’t even want to talk about how to fund this,’’ Atefi said. “First, we need to figure out what improvements are needed and how we want S.R. 54 to look. Then, we can worry about how to fund it. It’s too premature to talk about tolling. That’s why I didn’t want to get into the discussion.”
At its March 31 meeting, the East Task Force – which looked at S.R.s 54 and 56 from U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — concluded its survey results. It listed Alternative H — which calls for maintaining six general purpose lanes and an “At Grade” (ground level) exclusive lane for bus rapid transit or rail transportation — as its top recommendation.
But, other alternatives studied and suggested contained potential for toll roads to fund the building.
While choice No. 2 (Alternative J) called primarily for maintaining the current state road and enhancing the bus routes, choice No. 3 (Alternative F) would feature six east-west lanes, but be subject to either a toll lane or an express lane with high-occupancy rules. Another alternative did not score in the top 3, but might be the most ambitious of the alternatives, with six existing lanes and one additional express lane, which buses also could utilize.
“These are only recommendations to be discussed further,’’ Atefi said.
But, the word “toll” is not one to toss around the commission chambers lightly.
In 2014, a proposed elevated highway stretching from the west side of Pasco County all the way to the east — 33 miles along the 54/56 corridor from U.S. 19 to U.S. 301 — stirred a lot of dissent, which eventually helped scuttle the project.
Opponents said the elevated toll road would devastate small businesses along S.R. 54 and put a significant dent in property values.
Spanish firm OHL had presented the original $2-billion private project, which didn’t initially involve any public funds to build but later admitted it couldn’t be financed without a public investment.
“I think that left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths,’’ said Moore.
“But, that’s not the case with what we are doing,’’ Atefi said.
Moore said despite any reservations, the public participation in the current debate about what to do with the 54/56 corridor bodes well for the future success of the Taskforce, which will reconvene in two months and begin Phase II, which will incorporate a broader range of public input.
For more information, please visit Vision54-56.com.
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