Pasco

Pasco County

Long Range Plans - 2035

Current Studies - Potential Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Pasco County Mobility Fee

In a bold response to Florida ending concurrency (the requirement that development pays for public infrastructure), Pasco County created a mobility fee. Rather than each single family home requiring a one-time $10,000 fee for transportation, homes in the U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 54/56 corridors will have a smaller mobility fee than homes in the more rural parts of Pasco County. This incentivizes development in urban and suburban areas, rather than sprawl into areas where development has not occurred. Additionally, new offices or industrial space will not be charged a mobility fee.

Pasco County hopes the impact of mobility fees is that new growth is in corridors that are currently growing and can handle the needs of the citizens of Pasco County. That is why the mobility fee can be used for mass transit and parks, not just roads. The mobility fee is an example of Pasco setting itself up for future growth and prosperity.

Long Range Plan - 2035

The map below outlines the transit needs for Pasco County through 2035 that have been identified by the Metropolitan Planning Organization in their Long Range Transportation Plan. Click the map to open a larger version in a new window.

Current Studies - Potential Rail

Hillsborough County to Wesley Chapel

A preliminary study began in 2010 to determine how Pasco County can best connect the growing Wesley Chapel area with the light rail system that is planned in Hillsborough County. The study will help identify options for the alignment and the type of transit that are worth studying in more detail as part of a formal federal funding application. The major work efforts will include development of a Purpose and Need statement, operation plans, public outreach, preliminary cost and ridership estimates, and identification of potential economic, social and environmental impacts. Click here to learn more. The study will be completed in late 2012.

Source: Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

Current Studies - Potential Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

SR 54/56

As part of the TBARTA Master Plan, the SR 54/56 Corridor connecting Port Richey to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was identified for premium bus service. Premium bus service includes bus rapid transit, express bus in managed lanes, express bus in mixed traffic, or some combination of these options. A number of transit oriented developments (TODs) are being planned for this corridor and would be connected by the new service. The study began in December 2009 and will be completed in December 2011. Click here to learn more.

Source: Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

Westshore Area to Crystal River/Inverness

Providing transit connections to the northern communities of Tampa Bay is critical for both tourism benefits and access for residents. The goal of the Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway Corridor Study is to identify options for premium bus service to connect Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. Premium bus service includes bus rapid transit, express bus in managed lanes, express bus in mixed traffic, or some combination of these options.

The TBARTA Master Plan identified a corridor that would extend from the Westshore business district in Tampa to the Veterans Expressway at SR 60, continue along the North Suncoast Parkway in Pasco County to end at US 98 in Citrus County. The actual endpoint will be determined as part of the study. The transit service will branch off the Suncoast Parkway onto major local routes in each of the northern counties–SR 54 in Pasco County, SR 50 in Hernando County, and SR 44 and US 98/US19 in Citrus County extending to park-and-ride locations within the counties. The study began in 2010 and will be complete by 2012. It will focus on transit operations, as well as identifying station area locations and development opportunities. Click here to learn more.

Learn More

The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a resource agency for transportation planning. Mandated by federal and state law, the MPO is responsible for establishing priorities to meet short-term (next 5 years) and long-term multi-modal transportation needs for Pasco County. http://portal.pascocountyfl.net/portal/server.pt/community/metropolitan_planning_organization/246/home