TAMPA, Fla. — A longtime Tampa resident says that as the Bay Area grows and traffic gets busier, delays at a busy intersection are continually getting worse.

What You Need To Know

  • Tampa resident Doreen Rosselli says turning left from eastbound Waters Avenue to northbound Himes Avenue is frustrating.

  • She says traffic gets backed up because the light doesn't stay green long enough

  • Hillsborough County officials said traffic lights on Waters Avenue were recently retimed to help move traffic in and out of the city better

“Year after year, it gets heavier and heavier,” said Doreen Rosselli, who has lived in Tampa for nearly two decades.

She says there’s an intersection in particular that has gotten especially bad: Waters and Himes avenues.

Her concern is turning left from eastbound Waters to northbound Himes, where she says the cars back up because the green turn signal doesn't last very long.

“During rush hour, morning or evening, you can’t even get to the left lane," Rosselli said. "Because there’s so much traffic."

She said the length of the turn signal has a lot to do with the traffic backups. 

“It’s frustrating, because the green light is so quick, sometimes if you’re a couple of cars back, you can’t go,” Rosselli said.

Spectrum News asked Hillsborough County officials about the intersection and they said traffic lights on Waters Avenue were recently re-timed to help move traffic in and out of the city better, depending on the time of day. They said short turning lights might be the result of that, especially at intersections where there have been crashes, like Waters and Himes avenues.

Officials also said the speed limit on Waters was also reduced from 45 to 40 mph.

Rosselli said she has tried alternate routes, like Humphrey Street, to make her turn, but hopes the intersection of Waters and Himes avenues will be fixed before too long.

“Just until they can make the light stay green longer or extend the lane, if possible,” she said.