TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Karen emailed me to ask about Hillsborough Avenue at the Veterans Expressway. She wants to know why there are solid red arrows in the right turn lanes from eastbound Hillsborough to the southbound Veterans (Eisenhower Boulevard).

Karen says:

You don’t know how many people have road rage over this light. People stop and don’t go. People stop and then make a right. Horns are being honked at the people that stop and won’t go. So, you end up sitting there forever until the light turns green. Some people start to go then slam on their breaks (I think because there is a camera there). It’s crazy. There is no sign that says no right on red. So that tells me that you stop, look and then go if it is clear? I think the city should put a blinking red light OR a yellow light to clear up the confusion. There needs to be some clarification for sure.

Karen

Because Hillsborough Avenue is a state road, I took Karen’s question to the Florida Department of Transportation. According to an FDOT spokesperson, because the location has dual lefts and dual rights for the southbound Veterans Expressway ramp, “we needed to completely stop the right turn during the other operation. With the alignment of the left turns, there is no designated receiving lane for the right turn vehicles.”

FDOT says a yellow arrow would drastically increase crashes. And as far as a flashing red arrow, FDOT says there cannot be a flashing red indication during normal signal operation. If the whole signal is flashing you can have a flashing red, but you can’t have it while the rest of the signal is operating in green, yellow, red mode.

However, FDOT agreed to look into the option of adding signage to the intersection to better guide drivers when it comes to what they should or shouldn’t do. The agency is sending someone out to take a look and says it will let me know what can be done.

I, of course, will pass that information along to you.

If you have a traffic concern, send me a Road Rant. Email me at mcensullo@wfla.com or find me on Facebook at WFLA Meredyth.

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