Tampa, Florida Speed Traps
Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near From the bridge just before Amberly Drive to 2 miles past I-75 interchange Pebble Creek area
Extremely high enforcement area, run by Tampa PD in the Tampa Palms/New Tampa stretch of Bruce B. Downs avenue (aka 30th Street). Officers not actively responding to calls commonly sit in the median behind shrubbery (night time) or behind the church sign just south of the Tampa Palms fire department on the west side of the road (24/7) doing both active & passive speeding enforcement (passive = radar on, doing paperwork, will pursue for 5+ over). Ticketing is very active in this section, with speed limit of 45 on a two-lane per direction main road with a 20 foot median. Since this is a road with a former 55 mph limit and has a prevailing (during non-enforcement) speed of 55 – 60 mph due to broad lanes, divided road with limit access points, occurance of “speeders”” compared to the local limit is common.
Locals to the area know to keep the speed artificially slow to avoid problems.”
Monterey Boulevard near Logan Gate Boulevard
Logan Gate Village subdivision – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputies have scoped out several spots along Monterey Blvd where they can set up to monitor traffic traveling along Monterey Blvd for speed. Traffic is also monitored for stop sign violations and noise violations (don’t boom your stereo). Watch your speed, stop for the stop signs, and turn down your stereos!
North Boulevard near Yukon Street
Tampa Police Department motorcycle officers frequently set up on the Southeast corner of the intersection (North Boulevard and Yukon) partially concealed by the fence/home on that corner. Northbound traffic on North Boulevard is especially vulnerable. Slow down in this area or you could be next.
Interstate 275 near Howard Frankland Bridge to Himes Blvd.
This trap is common on weekends and on holidays. I was going back in forth from Tampa and St. Petersburg several time on Memorial Day week. This is a shame to Florida, from Florida High Patrol as well as Pinellas and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. I missed this trap and was not pulled over thank goodness. I witnessed many drivers who were not driving hazardlessly getting pulled over. There were 15-20 police officers on both sides of the interstate. Once just after downtown westbound toward Himes and Dale Mabry. Then on the Howard Frankland Bridge their were at least 10-12 officers on Motorcyles and patrol cars including marked and unmarked pulling over drivers left and right. Same thing going eastbound across the bridge from St.Pete. to Tampa. Tampa has has the worse highway system I have seen for an urban area. I don’t know where all this money is going to from tickets. This is not good for tourism. The hazard out their are when the police are stopping motorist for a minor offense and rubberneckers (on lookers) cause more accidents by slowing down to 40 mph or lower on Interstate causing traffic to constantly brake (which is the law in Florida). If you cannot switch lane drivers must slow down 20 mph below speed limit when Emergency Vehicle is on side.
Bayshore Boulevard
As anyone who lives near this area knows, police are always nabbing speeders on Tampa’s most famous road. They usually concentrate on the area south of Howard Avenue (down to Gandy blvd) in the grassy median or perhaps off one of the side streets, and occasionally from Howard north into downtown as well. Simply put, you’re asking for it if you travel 50mph or more (the speed limit is 40mph), and I see people pulled over just about every time I travel this road to/from work. Keep it under 50 and you should be fine, though you might want to keep it 45 and under just to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, several pedestrians have been killed on Bayshore in recent years, mainly by drivers who were traveling 60+, so in this case I’m glad the police are enforcing this area to the degree that they are.