Guest Author
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has agreed to construct an unwanted $242 million pedestrian project in Pinellas County, and I am urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop it before it begins.
When this project was originally proposed, the price tag was approximately $163 million; now $242 million. Costs for this project are exploding and it should be alarming to all of us that FDOT is investing over $242 million of Florida’s taxpayer dollars to construct three pedestrian underpass tunnels along US-19, a roadway where sidewalks already exist. In addition, the 1.5‐mile section from north of SR 580 to Northside Drive is an industrial area that pedestrians currently do not utilize and most likely never will.
These three tunnels were proposed to make the area safer for pedestrians; however, even if pedestrians did frequent this area, this would not be the solution to safer walkways. It would have the opposite effect. Pedestrian underpasses are not safe and are becoming increasingly known as “Drug Alleyways” among the homeless population, providing a significant safety concern among residents with overpriced and unpassable walkways. With homelessness on the rise, individuals in areas where underpasses do exists have turned the pedestrian walkways into makeshift homes equipped with beds, couches, and sometimes electricity.
The exorbitant amount of money proposed for these unneeded pedestrian underpasses should cause Gov. DeSantis and the residents of Pinellas County to pause and think about the many projects that could be funded to improve the lives of our community.
I urge Gov. DeSantis and FDOT to reevaluate this project and put a stop to it before construction begins in the Spring of 2023. The people of Pinellas County deserve better. They deserve their hard-earned money to be used for something that directly benefits the people of Pinellas County.
Instead of investing $242 million into pedestrian underpasses that will undoubtedly be underutilized and have zero economic impact within our community, let’s consider reinvesting these taxpayer dollars. Let’s reinvest these dollars for more pressing transportation needs in the immediate area, not for three underutilized underpasses. By reallocating this money to provide the necessary resources that our community quite frankly deserves, our people and our community can thrive.
Gov. DeSantis, not only is this a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, but the businesses along the 1.5‐mile section from north of SR 580 to Northside Drive is an industrial area that suffered greatly when this road was reconstructed by FDOT nearly six years ago, which still feels like yesterday to the businesses that have not yet recovered from that fiscal hit plus COVID-19. If this project were to begin, it would again significantly harm all these businesses. We urge you to put an immediate stop to this project. Now is the time to stop the US-19 construction project and reroute our taxpayer dollars into something more viable for our community’s future.
For more information about the pedestrian project and to take action against FDOT, visit www.DumpTheHumps.com.
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Sen. Ed Hooper represents Senate District 16, which includes Clearwater and Largo in northern Pinellas and western Pasco counties.
25 comments
Walter White
October 19, 2022 at 6:55 am
Ed Hopper is an out of touch idiot like many in his party. US 19 is one of the most dangerous roads in the country for pedestrians. The reason there isn’t much foot traffic today is because it’s unfriendly to pedestrians and downright dangerous due to cars in many places along the highway that runs through residential and mixed use areas.
Mike s
October 19, 2022 at 7:17 am
$242 million! Who would be the idiot allowing their government to squander money that could go towards mental health? Mr. Hooper is correct on his protecting government waste. We need to stop funding bad ideas. Would you spend your money on this?
Jeannie
October 20, 2022 at 4:39 pm
Even better why not use it for homeless families to have food, shelter, etc. Rent has tripled and people are being put out of housing in order for management companies to triple rent, therefore, more homeless families on the street because of greedy people. smh
Mr. John Longsiverspoon
October 24, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Hello Mike actually Ed Hooper is completely off the mark the FDOT responded to this “There’s not a line in the opinion piece that is accurate, except for the total cost of the project.” Ed Hooper is also complicit in spreading misinformation and should be ashamed of himself. Hooper doesn’t give a damn about being fiscally responsible.
Amaro Lionheart
October 26, 2022 at 10:19 pm
Greetings, Mike and everyone. I am Ed Hooper’s Opponent Amaro Lionheart. I am asking for your support and that everyone is looking for an alternative to Hooper on November 8th; together, we can defeat him. But unfortunately, my opponent is a lifelong career politician that is also wholly tone-deaf to the needs of the people of our district.
My opponent’s voting record is atrocious and an affront to our values, and he sided with big insurance companies to put in the crisis we are in now. As your next State Senator, I will relentlessly fight to reduce homeowners and car insurance. Also, take the fight to cut those out-of-control utility taxes burdening our people.
Unlike my opponent, I will support any project that saves lives and enhances the quality of life for our community. I stand in solidarity with the hardworking men and women of the FDOT.
Once elected into office, it is my goal to go into overdrive studying and meet with as many communities and business leaders as possible to bring real-world common sense solutions to many of the problems we face today. Then, we can place with absolute confidence the blame directly on the failures of my opponent and his buddies over the last 20 years, of which they’ve been in complete control. Yet there is no accountability on their behalf. I will hold them all accountable for their destructive and wasteful spending they’ve been doing for last decades.
Best,
Amaro Lionheart
State Senate Candidate District 21
Noah
October 19, 2022 at 8:22 am
> Pedestrian underpasses are not safe and are becoming increasingly known as “Drug Alleyways” among the homeless population, providing a significant safety concern among residents with overpriced and unpassable walkways. With homelessness on the rise, individuals in areas where underpasses do exists have turned the pedestrian walkways into makeshift homes equipped with beds, couches, and sometimes electricity.
Cry me a river, Ed. Maybe if we actually helped the homeless population instead of demonizing their attempts to survive, we’d have less instances of this.
Becky
October 19, 2022 at 9:50 am
Came here to say this.
B.j
October 19, 2022 at 5:11 pm
I agree use the money to find homes for the homeless. There are families out there that need a safe place to live. Screw running paths.
Kevin
October 19, 2022 at 8:48 am
Ed Hooper would also like those kids to get off his lawn!
Rich
October 19, 2022 at 8:53 am
Use the money to construction pedestrian crosswalks going over US19! Hopefully there would be a great amount of money saved while providing safe passage across US19, as well as lack of homeless encampments.
John A.
October 19, 2022 at 12:08 pm
I THINK THE MONEY SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO ME, I NEED THE MONEY.
Lori Schwartz
October 19, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Ed Hopper is out of touch with the needs of the people in Pinellas County! Let’s vote him out of office so we can begin to bring Pinellas County into the 21st century. Rather than putting a dangerous roundabout on Alt 19 in the center of Palm Harbor, we should be making pedestrian crossings safer and adding more accessible ways to cross US 19 and Alt 19. There are a lot of people, both young and old that will benefit from having access to cross these major roads safely.
Joseph Hobson
October 19, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Retarded article written by a priveleged upper class white idiot. The sidewalks are in a state of utter disrepair on us-19. Maybe if you had ever worked from the bottom in this county you would understand that riding ones bike on these sidewalks is stressful and taxing. You were probably given a 30k dollar car by mommy and daddy and never sweated one day in your life. There 100% would be an increase in the potential economy of pinellas by increazing the ability for lower level workers to transport themselves across the county. But please keep spouting your idiotic entitiled logic.
Sam Jones
October 19, 2022 at 5:27 pm
You are obviously one of MANY uneducated bike riders in Pinellas county. The state and county already wasted plenty of cash installing bike lanes on the roadways that you idiots never used. Sidewalks are for PEDESTRIANS! IF YOU ATE RIDING A BIKE YOU ARE NOT A PEDESTRIAN and so not belong on a sidewalk except in certain circumstances.
Brandon
October 21, 2022 at 1:50 pm
A tiny strip of paint between the curb and the monster that is US-19 is not real bike infrastructure. You wouldn’t ride it, you wouldn’t let a child ride it, and I don’t blame anyone else for not using those “bike lanes”. Build dedicated, protected bike trails, and you’ll see folks no longer need to rely on the tiny strip of sidewalk.
Sandy
October 20, 2022 at 12:06 pm
👍👍👍
Tom layton
October 19, 2022 at 1:14 pm
i think before calling Ed Hopper crazy you should spend some time in the area. Very few people walk in this area because this is a commercial environment.
Chip Revels
October 19, 2022 at 2:41 pm
It wasn’t wasted it was dispersed properly among his constituents.
Cheryl
October 19, 2022 at 4:08 pm
State of Florida Senator Ed Hooper’s statement is incorrect re:
Florida DOT Project 256774-2-52-01.
Read the actual project description:
https://www.fdottampabay.com/projects/road/us-19/all
Scroll down to:
“256774-2-52-01
US 19 New Interchanges and Roadway Improvements between SR 580 and CR 95 (Curlew Road)”
In Summary:
US 19 – Changing a six lane divided highway to a six lane controlled roadway with two frontage roads with an interchange midway between SR580 and SR256, including a pedestrian crosswalk.
One pedestrian underpass between Evans Rd and Republic Dr.
A new interchange overpass at SR256.
And, a pedestrian overpass at Northside Dr.
***********************
“There have been 5 pedestrian fatalities on this section of US 19.”
Ed
October 19, 2022 at 7:18 pm
The FDOT is a waste of money. They should invest in a smart light system that helps the taxt payers. And make life more easy. Now more than ever its 10 times more traffic than before. Most of the state route lights are not well regulated and traffic is not fluid. Most routes are filled with holes. There is a lot work you can be done with all those millions. I definitely agree is a waste of money.
Mike s
October 19, 2022 at 8:51 pm
Wow not one of you cry baby’s made one positive suggestion as to how to solve the problem if there is one. My 10 year old daughter said buy a bus and drive those people around. 242 million at 1 million per year would take care of the problem for 242 years. Really sounds like tunnels are not the answer.
Marco Salo
October 20, 2022 at 5:20 pm
The homeless will not stay in homes! Get your facts straight!
Most of homeless are jobless and not willing to work they are mentally challenged they need to be interned in hospices and prayed for to recover!
I came in this country no English and worked 2 jobs!
There is no such a thing as hungry and homeless in USA unless they choose to!
Get your facts straight!
Damian Raffile
October 21, 2022 at 10:14 am
Please don’t allow this project to go forward especially in these tough economic times. That money could be used for so many other endeavors to assist the needy because I feel people are fed up with all of these pork ideas
Amaro Lionheart
October 26, 2022 at 10:34 pm
Greetings, everyone. I am Ed Hooper’s Opponent Amaro Lionheart. I am asking for your support and that everyone is looking for an alternative to Hooper on November 8th; together, we can defeat him. But unfortunately, my opponent is a lifelong career politician that is also wholly tone-deaf to the needs of the people of our district.
My opponent’s voting record is atrocious and an affront to our values, and he sided with big insurance companies to put in the crisis we are in now. As your next State Senator, I will relentlessly fight to reduce homeowners and car insurance. Also, take the fight to cut those out-of-control utility taxes burdening our people.
Unlike my opponent, I will support any project that saves lives and enhances the quality of life for our community. I stand in solidarity with the hardworking men and women of the FDOT.
Once elected into office, I aim to go into overdrive studying and meet with as many communities and business leaders as possible to bring real-world common sense solutions to many of the problems we face today. Then, we can place with absolute confidence the blame directly on the failures of my opponent and his buddies over the last 20 years, of which they’ve been in complete control. Yet there is no accountability on their behalf.
Here is a breakdown of the Article by the FDOT and a response. We can thank a person who is a seeker of truth and justice, Lisa. If it weren’t for her, we would not know the truth. “There’s not a line in the opinion piece that is accurate, except for the total cost of the project.”- FDOT
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has agreed to construct an unwanted $242 million pedestrian project (FICTION) in Pinellas County, and I am urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop it before it begins.
FACT – this is a capacity project. This project will change the existing six lane divided highway to a six-lane controlled access roadway with one-way frontage roads in both directions parallel to US 19 between SR 580 and CR 95 (Curlew Road).
An Interchange is planned midway between SR 580 and SR 586 (Curlew Road), just north of Boy Scout Road.
A new interchange at SR 586 (Curlew Road) will also be added so that US 19 traffic will travel uninterrupted as it passes over SR 586.
Pedestrians will have a dedicated underpass between Evans Road and Republic Drive. A new pedestrian bridge over US 19 is planned at Northside Drive.
When this project was originally proposed, the price tag was approximately $163 million; now $242 million. Costs for this project are exploding (**) and it should be alarming to all of us that FDOT is investing over $242 million of Florida’s taxpayer dollars to construct three pedestrian underpass tunnels (FICTION) along US-19, a roadway where sidewalks already exist.
In addition, the 1.5‐mile section from north of SR 580 to Northside Drive is an industrial area that pedestrians currently do not utilize and most likely never will.
**Construction prices have generally increased across the state.
FACT – There will be one dedicated pedestrian underpass between Evans Road and Republic Drive to make the area safer for pedestrians.
Over the past 5 years there have been 5 fatal/severe injury crashes involving pedestrians within the 1.5‐mile section from north of SR 580 to Northside Drive.
The Pinellas MPO (Forward Pinellas) has voted 3 times in favor of pedestrian crossings along US 19 including most recently a vote to support the underpass.
This project (256774-2 & 256774-3) has been an MPO priority since 1990.
The MPO uses a combination of sources to create their priority list. This includes input from local municipalities, citizens, and other interested parties. Factors that influence prioritization include safety, congestion, and condition of the facility.
Every year Forward Pinellas’ priority list is reviewed, updated, and goes through their public participation process.
This formal process includes vetting by their committees, including the Citizens Advisory Committee, being posted on their website for public review and comment, and review and approval by their governing board. The public is invited to comment on the list at any point during its development.
These three tunnels (FICTION) were proposed to make the area safer for pedestrians; however, even if pedestrians did frequent this area, this would not be the solution to safer walkways. It would have the opposite effect. Pedestrian underpasses are not safe and are becoming increasingly known as “Drug Alleyways” among the homeless population, providing a significant safety concern among residents with overpriced and unpassable walkways. With homelessness on the rise, individuals in areas where underpasses do exists have turned the pedestrian walkways into makeshift homes equipped with beds, couches, and sometimes electricity.
FACT – There will be one dedicated pedestrian underpass between Evans Road and Republic Drive.
(Note) District 7 recently opened a pedestrian underpass in Citrus County that has been widely celebrated and utilized, there have not been any incidents since opening this year.
The exorbitant amount of money proposed for these unneeded pedestrian underpasses should cause Gov. DeSantis and the residents of Pinellas County to pause and think about the many projects that could be funded to improve the lives of our community.
I urge Gov. DeSantis and FDOT to reevaluate this project and put a stop to it before construction begins in the Spring of 2023. The people of Pinellas County deserve better. They deserve their hard-earned money to be used for something that directly benefits the people of Pinellas County.
Instead of investing $242 million into pedestrian underpasses that will undoubtedly be underutilized and have zero economic impact within our community, let’s consider reinvesting these taxpayer dollars.
Let’s reinvest these dollars for more pressing transportation needs in the immediate area, not for three underutilized underpasses. By reallocating this money to provide the necessary resources that our community quite frankly deserves, our people and our community can thrive.
Gov. DeSantis, not only is this a complete waste of taxpayer dollars, but the businesses along the 1.5‐mile section from north of SR 580 to Northside Drive is an industrial area that suffered greatly when this road was reconstructed by FDOT nearly six years ago, (FICTION) which still feels like yesterday to the businesses that have not yet recovered from that fiscal hit plus COVID-19. If this project were to begin, it would again significantly harm all these businesses. We urge you to put an immediate stop to this project. Now is the time to stop the US-19 construction project and reroute our taxpayer dollars into something more viable for our community’s future.
FACT – FDOT has not done any reconstruction in this 1.5 mile section in the last decade.
Best,
Amaro Lionheart
State Senate Candidate District 21
Bernard Fensterwald
October 27, 2022 at 12:30 pm
One has to question Ed Hooper’s motivation here. The project he cites is for much more than underpasses. One has to wonder?
Comments are closed.