Hillsborough Avenue is a major route to work for thousands of commuters, which has caused some issues with traffic.
- Residents have experienced driving four miles taking 20 to 30 minutes
- Road is over capacity
- FDOT to look at functionality of traffic lights
Linda Polacek lives in Pinellas County and works in Hillsborough County, and says that traffic lights may be contributing to her long commute.
“I take Hillsborough Avenue eastbound, and when I get to Sheldon and Memorial, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to get four miles,” says Polacek. “The lights are just timed wrong, in my opinion. Because there's never a traffic issue or accident, it's just trying to get those four miles."
During summer, traffic in the area does get lighter, but that doesn’t fix the problem in the long run.
Hillsborough Avenue is managed by the state as part of their arterial management program, or AMP, meaning it is constantly monitored for traffic pattern changes or incidents.
David Botello with FDOT says the road is over capacity, meaning there are more cars on Hillsborough Avenue than the six lanes can handle, specifically at the intersections of Hillsborough and Sheldon and Hillsborough and Lagoon.
“Due to the extreme proximity, these two intersections operate as one,” stated Botello. “This is one of the major congestion problems on this corridor.”
Redesigning this interchange will be a significant help for traffic.
As for the lights, FDOT says they will look at them to get as much traffic through during peak times as possible.