Republican National Convention To Bring Traffic Gridlock In Tampa

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This month's Republican National Convention is expected to bring approximately 50,000 visitors to Tampa and drive delay times on the city's major roads by 18 percent. The insight, released today by INRIX, the largest global traffic intelligence platform in the world, unveils a number of likely problem areas for drivers including:

1. Routes South of Whiting Street will be closed, including the Platt Street Bridge and the part closure of the Selmon Expressway, between Willow Avenue and 50th Street
2. Traffic will likely reroute to the I-275 or Kennedy Boulevard with delays increasing to more than 25 minutes on the busiest days, from an average of 10 to 15 minutes
3. Overall traffic volume will significantly rise, with 350 charter buses and more than 500 private vehicles expected, with no plans to set aside specialized lanes on the interstates
4. Short traffic signals could bring downtown Tampa to a standstill, with the biggest concerns being traffic signals on Kennedy Boulevard and Ashley Drive
5. Road closures are anticipated to be lifted after 6PM on Friday August 31^st and will start from Saturday August 25^th

Jim Bak, Director of Community Relations, INRIX, shares advice to Tampa commuters: "There will likely be a conference session that clashes with the morning rush hour on Monday August 27^th and commuters should get an early start to avoid the anticipated delays. Staggering work hours around peak commuting times and working around the road closures as much as possible should help alleviate some of the pressure on the roads, we advise drivers to plan journeys in advance as much as possible."

Current Top three worst bottlenecks in Tampa*:

• I-275 Southbound from Floribraska Ave/28^th Ave/Exit 28 to US-92/Dale Mabry Hwy/Exit 23,  traffic moves through this 4.2 mile stretch of road at rush hour at 33 mph for 24 hours each week
• I-275 Northbound from FL-60/Cypress St/Exit 39  to FL-574/Exit 46B where traffic crawls through this four mile stretch of road at an average speed of 22 mph for 13 hours each week.
• Veterans Expy/FL 569 Southbound where it intersects with Linebaugh Ave/Exit 7 is a half mile stretch of road where cars crawl at an average speed of 23 mph for 10 hours a week.

The Republican National Convention runs August 27^th to August 30^th 2012 across various locations in Tampa.

INRIX recently introduced a new free app for the iPhone and iPad that helps drivers take control of their commute and avoid traffic. For further information on the app, please visit: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inrix-traffic-never-be-late/id324384027?mt=8

*bottleneck information sourced from the INRIX Traffic Scorecard, a comprehensive analysis of the state of traffic congestion across the world, sourced from INRIX data.  For monthly insight and analysis, methodology and additional information on the INRIX Scorecard, please visit: http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/default.asp

About INRIX

INRIX® is the largest global traffic intelligence platform in the world, delivering smart data and analytics to solve transportation issues worldwide. INRIX crowd sources data daily from more than 100 million vehicles and devices to deliver traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services, across six industries in 31 countries.

With more than 200 customers and partners including Audi AG, ADAC, ANWB, BMW, the BBC, Ford Motor Company, the I-95 Coalition, MapQuest, Microsoft, NAVIGON, Nissan, O2, Tele Atlas, Telmap, Toyota and Vodafone, INRIX's real-time traffic information and traffic forecasts help drivers save time every day. To experience the traffic technology revolution behind the next generation of transportation, navigation and location-based service applications, visit www.INRIX.com.

SOURCE INRIX

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