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[Sent via electronic mail]
March 8, 2004
Herschel Connor, Manager
Re: Suncoast Parkway PD&E Study Dear Mr. Connor: Your company's website for the above project states: In addition to its importance as a part of the FIHS, Project 2 would provide needed relief to the local roadway network. As one of the fastest growing counties in the state, traffic volumes in Citrus County are expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. The Suncoast Parkway would provide valuable and needed additional traffic capacity to meet these future local traffic demands, as well as safety improvements and other benefits. (http://www.hwlochner.com/projects/project.asp?projectID=B0A17577-E8CC-4E17-8362-2123B81E7368 ) The above statement is obviously a conclusion that I would assume that your company determined based on facts. Although I have repeatedly asked Mr. Carl Gibilaro, FTE's project manager for the Suncoast Parkway II, if there are traffic studies or needs studies to support similar statements that he has made, Mr. Gibilaro has consistently told me that no such studies exist. A recent letter to me from Ms. Clements of FTE has also confirmed that such studies are as she said, "…pending." Mr. Gibilaro has informed the members of SPAG, ERRAG, concerned citizens, and me that these studies will be included in the PD&E Study itself and, as you are well aware, that study is nowhere near completion. To my knowledge FDOT District 7 and FTE are in the process of modeling the traffic conditions and needs of our region and transferring the present model to the newly adopted modeling software and updating with the 2000 US Census data and land use changes. As you are aware, Citrus County is in the process of conducting a 25-year study of its transportation needs but that study is just finishing the data collection and public-input phases. In other words, there appears to be no basis for your statement. Please provide me with any material that would support such a claim. Also note that this inquiry is directed to your company and not FTE. Without this documentation I have serious concerns about the credibility of your company to conduct an unbiased PD&E Study as the above statement indicates clearly that you have already decided the outcome of the study even though an alignment has not been selected and the "No-Build" option even begun. This is a very serious matter since your company has taken the additional step of making this conclusion public by placing it on the Internet. I look forward to your reply. Very truly yours, Robert F. Roscow
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