TAMPA, Fla. — As downtown Tampa booms with growth, some drivers say certain traffic lights should be changed to deal with the added congestion.

What You Need To Know

  • A Tampa driver says she wants the traffic light at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Tampa Street changed

  • She says it's difficult for drivers to make a left from Palm Avenue onto Tampa Street without a left turn signal, especially during rush hour

  • Officials say the Florida Department of Transportation plans to review the signal timings over the next few weeks to see if any improvements can be made

“The area is getting so congested from so much new building that you can’t get around anymore,” Tampa resident Lisa Bornstein said. 

She says one intersection in particular is tough to cross: Palm Avenue at Tampa Street, especially when making a left from Palm Avenue onto Tampa Street.

Bornstein said those streets are much busier in recent years with nearby additions like Armature Works.

“It’s busy," she said. "You don’t have much of a turn lane as it is, and I don’t think they considered this when they put all these buildings in that it would be this busy."

The intersection does have a left turn lane, but it does not have a dedicated left turn signal.

Bornstein said that can be a problem at rush hour or during major events when it can take a while to make that left with oncoming traffic.

“I’ve sat through this light a few times trying to turn left because of all the traffic,” she said.

Officials with the city of Tampa say they have asked the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to look into the situation and see if any changes can be made at the Palm Avenue and Tampa Street intersection.

FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson said in an email to Spectrum News that FDOT did investigate making changes there. However, Carson said the data they found determined a left turn signal was not warranted.

FDOT plans to review the signal timings over the next few weeks to see if any improvements can be made.

“I think it’s an easy fix,” Bornstein said. “I come through here numerous times a day to go downtown. It gets pretty frustrating when you can’t get through the light.”