Heavy traffic is not just on the interstates. As communities grow, so do the number of cars on local roads.
In Hillsborough County a good example of that is Van Dyke Road. It runs east-west and connects Sheldon Road to Dale Mabry Highway. The two-lane road is at maximum capacity during the peak morning and afternoon drives. According to viewer Bill Maiden, the road also needs to be widened.
"The back-ups on this road from time to time is unbelievable and could be resolved by using the space and making Van Dyke a five lane with a center turn lane for the businesses and churches," he says.
Three east-west roads take most of the traffic in the area: Lutz Lake Fern Road, Van Dyke Road and Erlich Road. All three roads are extremely busy morning and evening.
According to Kara Walker with Hillsborough County, widening is not in the future for Van Dyke Road. However, work is planned to better synchronize the traffic signals in hopes that it will lead to improved traffic flow.
In addition, a new project to notify drivers of lane drifting on Van Dyke Road is planned for the fall. Funding for these projects is currently tied to the impending Go Hillsborough Transportation Plan.