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Pasco Projects Might Not Make Stimulus First Cut

By Carl Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: February 12, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Many Pasco road projects might skid into a ditch when it comes to qualifying for the first phase of the federal economic stimulus.

Nobody quite knows for sure just yet since the ink isn't dry on the stimulus legislation before Congress, according to Donald Skelton, the District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation. Skelton, based in Tampa, spoke at today's meeting of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The MPO is the county's main transportation planning agency.

DOT likely will have to nominate a first batch of "shovel-ready" projects within 75 days, Skelton explained. The term means everything connected with the project is ready to go, including designs and environmental studies and right of way has been purchased.

That could leave out a lot of Pasco projects, Skelton said. DOT, however, then would have another year to submit a list of projects for a second phase of the stimulus program.

Perhaps a bridge at Interstate 75 and S.R. 56, in the Land O' Lakes area, might be among the few immediately shovel-ready Pasco projects, Pasco Commission Chairman Jack Mariano, an MPO member, suggested.

Pasco officials still submitted the county's revised list of possible road projects despite the uncertainty surrounding the stimulus dollars. Widening a section of U.S. 41 in Central Pasco sits atop the priority list of state roads here. Adding continuous right-turn lanes and redesigning medians on U.S. 19 is in second place.

A priority list of 10 local road projects includes: signals at Trinity Boulevard at Duck Slough; Decubellis Road upgrades near River Ridge Middle-High School; bridge improvements; and the extension of the recreation trail in Starkey Park. PCPT bus stop shelters also made the cut.

In other business:

• MPO members talked about long-range plans for West Pasco recreation trails.

• Residents of Summertree, in the Hudson area, told MPO members about damage to a barrier wall along their subdivision when S.R. 52 was widening.

• Seven Spring Middle School students lobbied for sidewalks near the Trinity-area school.

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