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Fast Ways To Rays Home Games? Shh! It's Trop Secret!

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By RICH SHOPES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 15, 2008

TAMPA - Getting from Tampa to Tropicana Field to see the Tampa Bay Rays used to be a breeze: Take Interstate 275 to St. Petersburg, swing into a parking space and stroll in minutes before the first pitch.

But with the Rays and their fans talking postseason, I-275 is subject to stop-and-go traffic when the games start at 7:10 p.m. on weekdays and thousands of fans head to the ballpark during the evening rush hour. Fans and commuters can expect delays on I-275 tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday as the Rays battle the Boston Red Sox.

So whether you're a longtime Rays fan nervous about exiting I-275 before you can see the Trop or you're heading to the ballpark for the first time, here are some tips on how to get from the Howard Frankland Bridge to your seat before the seventh-inning stretch.

• Leave as early as possible. "Our parking lots are filling up an hour, an hour and a half before game time," said Rick Nafe, vice president of stadium operations.

• Get familiar with St. Petersburg's street grid. Three main roads run directly into downtown - 16th Street, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Fourth Street. Once on those roads, head directly into downtown and turn right (west) on First Avenue North.

• Keep your options open. If rush-hour and stadium traffic combine to make it stop-and-go from the Howard Frankland, try the Fourth Street North exit. If you've passed that exit and the traffic slows to a crawl, exit at MLK or Roosevelt Boulevard. If traffic doesn't grind to a halt until after those exits, take the exits at 54th Avenue North, 38th Avenue North or 22nd Avenue North.

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