Study: Traffic in Tampa fifth worst in nation (Orlando: living, moving)

[BucFan]

Of course we have our bottlenecks (I-4/275 junction), but are we that bad in Tampa?

Ever drive through Orlando during rush hour?

or Washington DC or Houston?

If you look at the rankings, the author threw in a few Canadian cities, not knowing that a national ranking isn't a North American ranking, I guess.
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TAMPA --

If you feel like you are stuck in traffic all the time, you're probably right.

According to a new research study by the GPS maker TomTom, traffic congestion is getting worse in Tampa.

Last year, this same study ranked the Bay area as the sixth worst traffic city in North America. This year's results are even worse.

Denise Witherspoon has lived in Tampa all of her life. She says a lot of factors make driving in Tampa difficult.

"More cars on the road, people not paying attention a lot, no courtesy, people going in and out of lanes," she said.

On the 2012 ranking list, Atlanta was named 11th worst traffic city and New York City was 15th. Tampa Bay was fifth!

Study author Nick Cohn says the ranking isn't really a contest and that Tampa traffic isn't really worse than Atlanta or New York.

What the study says is drivers are experiencing worse congestion this year than they were last year.

"It's really measuring what's happening in your own city, and then looking quarter to quarter how it's changing," Cohn said. "Because we're not comparing the Tampa network to the New York network. We're looking at what delay is really measured on the Tampa network itself."

The biggest factor in congestion wasn't caused by the interstates but by the many main arterials. The worst offenders were Hillsborough Avenue, Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Ulmerton Road and East Bay Drive.

TomTom hopes to release this information four times a year in the future; giving local governments a regular report card on how they're doing.














Study: Traffic in Tampa fifth worst in nation

[jambo101]

If i was moving back to the Tampa Bay area the potential commute would be a major decision on where i ended up living, the closer to work the better.

[kbrkr]

I must say, living here for 2 1/2 years coming from New York, I can sort of understand the rating. I've never been more frustrated driving ANYWHERE than here in the Tampa area. People here are NUTS!

No one really drives in New York City, you either take a Cab, Subway, or walk. The thing about driving in the City is that you KNOW everyone drives fast. If you have to drive, you don't have ding dongs crawling at 10mph on the FDR drive with the absence of bumper to bumper traffic.

I don't think the I4/I257 traffic represents the bulk of the traffic issues in Tampa, it's the texting, lane drifting, lack of turn signals, left lane road hogging, rain challenged goobers that make driving here miserable.

[jambo101]

One fender bender on a St Pete to Tampa or visa versa rush hour commute by a distracted driver add an hour to the hour commute.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by kbrkr

I don't think the I4/I257 traffic represents the bulk of the traffic issues in Tampa, it's the texting, lane drifting, lack of turn signals, left lane road hogging, rain challenged goobers that make driving here miserable.

You nailed it! ^^^

[FloridaKash]

If you read on how the rankings were established it makes sense. Traffic in Tampa is not really that bad (especially compared to most places).

The ranking were based on the percentage of time a commute increases from non-peak times to peak times. Since Tampa has speed limits of 65 and 70 where people travel at 80 - 85mph on non peak times, it's no wonder Tampa has a significant percentage increase of traffic during peak times where their average MPH may be 35 - 40mph

In addition, cities such as Seattle have slow moving interstates even when its not peak travel time. During 3pm in Seattle on I-405 you're only going 35mph... if you're lucky.... and this is non peak time. During rush hour there you'll go about 25 - 30.

Has anyone ever driven in Honolulu? Talk about ridiculous traffic!

[BucFan]

The story headline is very misleading, isn't it?

[BucFan]

and then this kind of stuff happens...how?

One dead after wrong-way I-275 crash

[GoRays813]

Traffic is not that bad but when congestion occurs, it's because people don't know how to drive. Use the left lane only for passing, don't tail-gate, and avoid pre-mature braking. In my opinion, traffic congestion is a function of these three variables. If people modified their driving behavior, then there wouldn't be traffic. But it's so frustrating when I see congestion because some jerk or absent-minded idiot is cruising in the left lane and causing a chain-reaction of traffic for no good reason.

[BucFan]

I can't believe how many people are texting while driving - see it left and right of me as I travel down the interstate.