TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Citizens' Group Pushes For S.R. 50 Upgrades

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: July 1, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County's Citizens Advisory Committee has voted unanimously to request the county not shift money away from slated State Road 50 improvements to use on other projects.

The CAC also asked that county officials work with the state to buy right of way on that busy highway to complete the next section of widening, from Mariner Boulevard to the Suncoast Parkway.

The recommendations may be discussed at the next meeting of the county's Metropolitan Planning Organization, scheduled for Aug. 19.

The CAC, an 11-member advisory group that makes recommendations to the MPO, is advocating the county not lose its focus in improving heavily traveled S.R. 50.

In fact, the CAC said that roadway should continue to be one of the highest transportation priorities as the county considers moving ahead on projects set in the 2009-13 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

"S.R. 50 is the best option to increase east-west capacity in a growing section of Hernando County and is essential in providing for our economic growth," CAC Chairman Len Tria said in a June 11 letter to the MPO.
Hernando County has reallocated much of its money to the Elgin Boulevard-Powell Road corridor.

"While it can be argued that these improvements will benefit the broader travel corridor, the CAC feels that these monies need to be spent on the S.R. 50 corridor itself," Tria said.

By diverting funds from S.R. 50, the county is "missing an opportunity to partner with (the Florida Department of Transportation) by leveraging a relatively small amount of funding in an effort to obtain major additional funding," he said.

Motorists would benefit if the county continues to acquire right of way on S.R. 50, move forward with frontage road construction and improve intersections along that road, according to the CAC.

County Transportation Planner Steve Diez said the widening of S.R. 50 from Mariner to the Suncoast Parkway is still scheduled to be done in the 2009-13 work schedule.

Meanwhile, the CAC has requested for review a complete breakdown of funds in the county's capital improvement program. The agency has also requested a full accounting of transportation impact fee revenue so it can understand how these funds were allocated away from S.R. 50.

Other highlights from last week's MPO meeting:

• Florida Department of Transportation staffers have completed 30 percent of the design plans for the six-laning of S.R. 50, from U.S. 19 to Mariner Boulevard.

• MPO staffers gave an overview of the recent meeting of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.

Regional transportation officials met at Silverthorn and stressed the importance of creating a regional road network to accommodate drivers as they commute from Hernando County to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT