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A small group of activists won a narrow victory over developers today, persuading Pasco County commissioners to reverse course and vote to enact tougher transportation standards for rural roads.
The vote was one of several legal steps the county must take to implement its mobility fee system, which replaces transportation impact fees.
The new system charges higher rates for construction in rural and suburban areas than in urban areas. For the first time, commissioners also will allow different levels of congestion based on a road's location.
The Florida Department of Transportation assesses roads and highways on a scale of A to F based on traffic flow. Roads with minimal congestion get an A rating; a road with bumper-to-bumper traffic for several hours a day might get a failing grade.
Pasco requires all roads to meet a minimum standard of D, although most rural roads currently operate at a B level.
County planners initially recommended raising the minimum standard to a C in rural areas, which, combined with higher mobility fees, would discourage high-density development.
But they changed their recommendation, opting to keep rural roads at level D, after commissioners questioned the wisdom of raising the standard while also giving property owners the right to opt out of the program and pay the old fees.
For the full article, visit the Tampa Tribune.
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