TAMPA, Fla. — As the weather warms and more people seem to be out and about, a complaint many drivers have this time of year in Tampa Bay is getting louder: Traffic.  

What You Need To Know

  • Experts say traffic is busier than ever on Tampa Bay’s roads, mostly due to growth in population and tourism 

  • Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority officials say they have seen 300,000 more toll transactions on the Selmon Expressway during January and February than they did at the same time last year

  • THEA has several projects in the works to help with congestion

It can get especially bad during spring break — and can make it feel like rush hour never ends on some days in Tampa Bay.

Greg Slater, CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), said his organization is seeing that change in real time.

“The growth in this region has translated to growth in traffic," he said. "We’re seeing that growth on a daily basis. And a weekly basis."

Because of THEA’s toll system, Slater said THEA can track how many drivers are using roads like the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.  

He said the numbers may be surprising.

“If you just look at where we are this year compared to last year, just January and February, we’re at 300,000 transactions on the Expressway above, year-over-year,” Slater said.

That doesn’t even include numbers for March and April, which are typically even busier, he said.

Events in downtown Tampa, plus its overall growth in population, have contributed to the increase in traffic.

Plus, during this time of year, seasonal residents are in town and tourists are visiting places like the beaches and ballparks for spring training.

It’s not just the amount of traffic that’s changed, but when it’s happening, too.

“We now have high volumes of traffic that are coming downtown in the evening that we didn’t have before,” he said.

Slater said a change in driving habits may be behind the change.

“You’re also seeing the emergence of the work-from-home workforce and what their travel patterns are," he said. "They may not be in that 8-4, 9-5 peak commute."

What's happening on the Selmon Expressway can be applied to all over the Bay area — from U.S. 19 in Pinellas County to Interstate 4 in east Polk County.

Slater said THEA has several projects underway, including the South Selmon Capacity Project, to improve traffic. They also recently opened new slip ramps to help with traffic congestion from Brandon. 

There’s even a future project in the works to expand the Expressway to Riverview along U.S. 301.

“What I dream about is those days where we have those higher volumes, but the traffic never dips below 40 or 50 mph,” Slater said.