For newcomers: Move to side of the bay where your job is located (Miami: 2015, home)

[cjairo191]

This is a given and known for the regular locals and people familiar with Tampa Bay. But there appears to be car accidents every day on the Tampa bridges across the bay with Howard Franklin being notorious. If you work in St Pete (Pinellas Side), live on that side, and if you work in Tampa, live in Tampa. I know we all dont have the luxury and jobs change, but if you are moving here for the first time, please take this into consideration. Only 1 lane was open across the Howard Franklin going into Tampa because of a major car accident. I know people where calling into work stating they will be 1 or 2 hours late.

It will take you on average 1 hour to go 15 miles during rush hour here in Tampa if crossing the bridges. . This is not a light traffic city. I lived in Miami and know people will say its worse down there. But maybe I am getting old (late 30s lol), but this traffic is hellish.

[mrviking]

I travel the bridges quite a bit. The Tampa side gets rush hour back ups mostly going west around the airport once on the bridge it mostly goes smooth. Further back towards malfunction junction, that is always a cluster f**K. That was made much worse with the selmon connector. Rush hour coming over the bridge to Tampa, forget about it. The bridge going east bound is Always a parking lot come rush hour.

[marc3565]

Agree with the advice to try to start on the same side as you work..

If you must cross the bridges/causeway it is good to check WAZE/Google Maps before you leave. There are other ways to go but once you are underway it is often impossible to turn around and go another way.. This doesn't help if the accident happens after you leave home..

I cross the Courtney Campbell causeway twice a day. For my trip i can also go north through Oldsmar but on normal days that takes 10 minutes longer and has a LOT of traffic lights. But if i check and my app says go that way I know there must be an issue on the causeway..

[engineman]

That is why it is commonly called the "Frankenstein Bridge".

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by engineman

That is why it is commonly called the "Frankenstein Bridge".

It was worse in the 80's before the new stein was built. 2 lanes each way on one bridge. One wreck beck would stop all flow bro.

[sinatras]

People still commute to work? That is so 1990s!
99% of people I know work from home.

[cjairo191]

Originally Posted by sinatras

People still commute to work? That is so 1990s!
99% of people I know work from home.

I know that is being sarcastic, but tourists, school kids, snowbirds and jobs that require you to be in the office are cramming the roads. Also being in the #1 State people are moving to might add to it as well. Geography of the area does not help having to cross bridges.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by cjairo191

I know that is being sarcastic, but tourists, school kids, snowbirds and jobs that require you to be in the office are cramming the roads. Also being in the #1 State people are moving to might add to it as well. Geography of the area does not help having to cross bridges.

I am not being sarcastic. I am being 1,000% serious. While there are still many jobs that require you to show up, require face time, etc., there are more work-from-home jobs than ever before. If your career field/job of choice allows you to get a job working from home, and you are not working from home, you are missing out on a MAJOR opportunity. If all the people who CAN work from home WOULD work from home, we would have much less gridlock. Again, 99% of the people I know, whether they live in Tampa Bay or elsewhere in the world, work from home.

[Badbird2000]

I would love to work from home, but my job isn't really set up for that. Mechanical consulting.. design HVAC systems for commercial buildings. Constantly marking up drawings, last minute meetings, etc.

When I did live in Tampa, my office was in Hyde Park, I lived In Brandon.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by sinatras

People still commute to work? That is so 1990s!
99% of people I know work from home.

My wife has worked from home over the last 10 yrs. She bought a new car in the summer of 2015. I just checked, she has 22K miles on it.