PASCO CO., Fla. — After two decades living in Pasco County, Jerry Poulin says the growth is out of hand.
“Seems like any place we see a spot of land, they are going to build,” Poulin said.
With more people comes more traffic.
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“When we moved there, it was a two-lane road on 41, which is where we live off and now it’s a four-lane road and it never stops,” Poulin said.
Janelle Poulette has lived in Pasco County even longer.
“The commute times have at least doubled. There’s lines at every light,” she said.
While drivers on the road are frustrated, Ed Falsetti is manning Pasco County’s traffic center, working to make their ride a little smoother.
“It can be a hectic time when everyone wants a green light and they don’t understand why they can’t have a green light all the time,” Falsetti said.
Falsetti has access to data from across the county, including 126 cameras that give him a bird’s-eye view of accidents and traffic flow. With a few clicks, he can adjust traffic signals, especially during the busiest times.
“And now we have two events. We have commuter traffic and we have school traffic. It’s that time of year,” he said.
The usual trouble spots get extra attention.
“41 and 54, 54 and Little, anything on 56 by the mall, the interstate. It’s a constant,” he said.
Pasco’s traffic department is also installing the Miovision detection system, which links directly with traffic signals to monitor real-time road conditions and adjust light timing to reduce delays and ease congestion.
Drivers can also report specific trouble spots using the county’s online Transportation Request Form.
Interim traffic operations manager Jeffrey Moncalian says they listen to the input.
“We’ve changed the way intersections operate. We’ve done lane modification. We’ve changed speed limits,” Moncalian said.
He says the most popular requests are for new traffic signals.
Falsetti, who has been in the traffic business for 32 years, is preparing to pass the controls to someone else.
“Retirement’s coming up real close and I’m looking for a place that has no traffic signals, or school flashes. Anything that has a signal,” Falsetti said.
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