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Mr. Jim Ely, Executive Director
Florida Turnpike Enterprise Ocoee, FL November 18, 2004 Dear Mr. Jim Ely, Page 30 of the November 2004 issue of Florida Trend magazine lists you as one of the most influential people in Florida and stated that you have been "charged by the Governor to bring private-practice savvy to the government experiment that is Florida's Turnpike Enterprise" (FTE). One practice of private enterprise is to estimate the financial feasibility of any project before sinking any money in it. The FTE does not proceed on that premise. It spends millions of dollars on environmental studies prior to documenting any need. This is clearly demonstrated by the Suncoast Parkway 2 (SP2) study presently underway. The current northern terminus of Suncoast Parkway 1 (SP1) at US 98 produces an annual daily traffic count of less than 3,000 vehicles (both directions); and that is after nearly three years of operations. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to extend the parkway another 24 miles north into rural Citrus County is fiscal nonsense. The figures clearly show that traffic north of state road 50 is not "ramping up" and to expect another 23 miles of parkway further north to help is not sound private enterprise judgment. One might argue that once any road is laid, people will drive on it, thereby lessening traffic on other roads. Over the years, that may occur, but is that the intent of your administration-building roads that will be needed "some day?" It is clear to me that the bonding for the construction of SP2 would be better used repairing the Expressway in Tampa where a controlled access road is truly needed, but falling down. That is, unless FTE has an endless supply of money. I would suggest that in order to comply with your charge from the Governor that you reconsider this policy of initially spending millions of dollars to study the environmental problems of a potential project, and institute the requirement that a needs study be completed as the first portion of any new road request. Sincerely,
Kathy Faye Chetoka
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