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Traffic In Downtown Tampa Likely To Be Heavy Again Tonight

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By RICH SHOPES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2009

Updated: 01/30/2009 10:55 am

TAMPA - Sure, traffic was bad Thursday night.

Channelside Drive was backed up from Franklin Street to Cumberland Street. Florida Avenue was a mess. Morgan Street was jammed with motorists hunting for parking.

The Eagles were performing at the St. Pete Times Forum, drawing a crowd just as rush hour was winding down and Super Bowl parties were rolling along.

"I'm not going to play it down," Public Works Director Irvin Lee said. "It was significant."

But embedded way down deep, the tiniest sliver of a silver lining could be found, Lee said, as he compared the traffic-choked streets of Wednesday night with those of Thursday night.

The traffic seemed to move slightly better Thursday than the night before, when Celine Dion was in town. Although still significant in volume and impact, "it was moving better," he said.

Capt. Paul Driscoll agreed, saying that on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst traffic conditions, Wednesday mustered "close to a 5, if not a 5, and [Thursday] night was a 3."

The city's transportation officials are expecting more jammed conditions tonight, as pre-Super Bowl festivities, such as the Bud Bowl, combine with afternoon rush hour and the crowds attending tonight's hockey game. The Lightning will take on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Forum at 7:30 p.m.

But it might help that hockey — not a concert — is on tap at the Forum, Driscoll said. Generally speaking, hockey fans tend to go to the games regularly, so they're familiar with parking and routes to the Forum.

"I don't want to jinx myself, but the hockey crowds know how to get in and out of downtown," he said.

Making a big difference Thursday was that some motorists who live or work downtown learned from their experiences of Wednesday night. Rush hour started a little earlier as folks got a jump on the commute home, and a few minutes can make a difference, Lee said.

Plus, more drivers took alternate routes. Additionally, and this had nothing to do with traffic engineering, the rain put a damper on the crowds.

"It definitely reduced some of our pedestrian traffic, and it made the folks who were driving slow down because of the road conditions," he said.

Today's rain is supposed to end by the afternoon, early enough to make it a non-factor on the traffic. Lee said the city will drag out more portable electronic signs to direct motorists, which should help.

His best advice for folks hitting the road today: If possible, avoid downtown during the late afternoon — the 5-8 p.m. range. If you work downtown or near it, try to leave a little earlier today.

"There are a lot of folks here from out of town. And a moment of indecision by one individual can add a cycle or two onto a signal, so it makes a difference," Lee said.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

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