Mr. Robert M. Clifford, AICP District Modal Planning and Development Manager
Florida Department of Transportation
11201 N. McKinley Drive
Tampa, FL 33612-6456

Dear Mr. Clifford,

Thank you for your response to my question on the 2025 traffic projections on US-19 in Citrus County. I would appreciate your additional comment and answer to some follow up questions I have based on the AADT projections given.

According to the numbers projected, this means that only between 11% and 15% of the traffic on US-19 would be "off-set" by the Suncoast Parkway 2 extension, in 2025.

1. Do those numbers consider the existing plan to widen sections of US-19 to 6 lanes?

2. Does the FDOT have a guideline on cost-benefit returns that justifies an expenditure of $600 million to alleviate only 11-15% of the traffic? If off-loading traffic from US-19 is not a primary impetus, then what IS the purpose of the Suncoast Parkway 2 extension?

3. Does FDOT consider an AADT count (round-trip) of 45,000 on US-19 an inordinately high number for a 6-lane highway through Citrus in 2025? That number seems to be within the range of normal traffic generated by a shopping plaza with a Publix and Walgreen.

In this budget-strapped time, it seems there are other road projects that would offer the Florida public more "bang for the buck" than one taking $600 million from the coffers to extend an already under-used toll road to rural Red Level.

I appreciate and thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Hanh Vu

Cc: Mark Clasgens, Project Manager
Karen Demeria, Work Program Administrator