PASCO COUNTY, fla — Pasco County has proposed a new 37-mile trail that would stretch throughout the county in an effort to connect communities and provide an accessible trail.
It would go from Trinity in South Pasco all the way up to Trilby.
The proposed Orange Belt Trailwould closely follow the abandoned Orange Belt Railway.
The county is still in the visioning phase, and they are gathering public input to decide the exact alignment and path the trail would follow.
Project manager Sam Benneck said the proposed Orange Belt Trail would provide a safer and more accessible place for residents to walk, run, or bike.
"The high-level concept for the Orange Belt Trail is a new bicycle and pedestrian facility that would cross roughly from trinity to trilby from West Pasco to East Pasco," Benneck said.
The trail is intended for walkers and bikers, but Benneck said certain areas could allow for horseback riders as well.
The Orange Belt Trail would stitch together the Coast-to-Coast trail, the Starkey Trail and the Withlacoochee Trail.
The money for the proposed training is coming from the county's Penny for Pasco Tax. They don't have an exact dollar amount for the price of the project yet because they're still in the visioning phases.
If approved, Pasco County residents can expect to see construction within the next two to three years.
But the county still needs the public's input, so they're hosting two public meetings on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn in Odessa. The second meeting is on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Dade City Garden Club.
You can also submit comments online.
