Turnpike, MPO and GoPasco discuss Suncoast park‑and‑ride vision; Turnpike urges local leadership

Turnpike Authority staff and GoPasco provided an update at the Pasco MPO meeting on Feb. 13 about coordination on potential park‑and‑ride and transfer facilities along the Suncoast Parkway corridor.

A Turnpike planning manager (identified in the meeting as a Turnpike/FTE representative) told the board that Turnpike and FDOT will work with the MPO and local transit provider GoPasco, but that the form and location of park‑and‑ride or transfer facilities should be driven by the MPO and local jurisdictions. The representative said the Turnpike's corridor plans are in PD&E for SR‑54 and that funding for design is scheduled in the coming program years; staff said the agency is coordinating with county and municipal plans.

GoPasco confirmed two park‑and‑ride sites are under consideration in the region, one tied to SR‑54 and a second near Ridge Road; staff estimated the currently proposed lots at roughly 30–40 parking spaces each. Board members raised concerns that small (30‑space) lots would not meet regional demand. One board member referenced an internal estimate that Turnpike land near the Suncoast headquarters could hold substantially more spaces (an estimate of about 117 spaces was mentioned during discussion) and urged Turnpike and the MPO to consider larger facilities that could support regional connections such as airport service.

The Turnpike representative said the agency is coordinating its PD&E and will present project details to MPO committees and the public, and urged local partners to keep defining the corridor vision because Turnpike investment decisions depend in part on local demand and transfer‑center plans. Turnpike staff also described the agency's operational assets at the Suncoast site, including an operations center, ranger and FHP presence, which they said could support multi‑modal connections.

Board members asked for more detailed site information and asked staff to coordinate before the Turnpike's public hearing process; Turnpike staff said they would continue coordination and present PD&E results to the MPO committees and board ahead of the public hearing expected in April. Board members reiterated that regional transit connections (for example to the airport) and larger transfer facilities should be studied as part of the MPO's transit development plan and the county's longer‑range planning efforts.

There was no formal board action taken; the exchange concluded with Turnpike and MPO staff agreeing to continue coordination and present updated plans to the MPO committees and board.