Tampa Bay Traffic: How Bad Is It?

Do the rush-hour blues have you down?

If you commute from New Port Richey to the Tampa metro area, they just might.

TomTom, the maker of the GPS device with the funny name, says our area ranks 12th in the country when it comes to congestion on the roadways. The Tampa metro area, in fact, saw its congestion numbers rise significantly over the company’s last congestion report in 2011. It was in the Top 3 areas for seeing numbers jump; trailing only Houston and Seattle.

Tampa area drivers who commute 30 minutes face an estimated “69 hours of delays per year,” the study concludes. It also says Tuesdays and Thursdays are the worst days of the week to hit the roads here.

TomTom’s yearly Congestion Index looks at 59 major metro areas across North America. The study examines “real time GPS data to provide traffic analysis.” TomTom claims its report is the “world’s most accurate barometer of congestion.”

Los Angeles, Vancouver and Honolulu were in the 2012 list’s Top 3 spots overall. Miami ranked 11th; just ahead of the Tampa area.

You can check out the full TomTom report by clicking here.

So what do you think? Is the Tampa area’s traffic that bad? How would you describe the congestion on your commute? Share your opinions by commenting below.