Avoid Rays Traffic: Here Are Some Hints

Traffic on Friday afternoons is always tight. Throw in Opening Day and a sold-out Rays game, and it's a potential disaster. 

Here are a few quick tips to get around and avoid traffic:

1.) Take off early: This is a no-brainer. Go early, park downtown (cheaper) and have a nice meal and then hop a trolley to the 7 p.m. game. 

2.) Get off at exits farther north than the Tropicana Field exits. If you are coming from the north and are taking I-275, don't wait until the Fifth Ave. Exit. Get off the interstate no later than 22nd Ave. North and take 16th St. South. It flows well and far fewer people take that route.

3.) Use alternative parking sites. Yeah, the first 100 vehicles to get to Tropcana Field with four passengers get to park for free. But to do that you'd have to leave about noon. Park downtown for $5, but some of the alternative lots surrounding Tropicana Field are less.

4.) For non-baseball fans who want to go downtown to enjoy a Friday night: Wait until at least 8 p.m. Also know that you may want to stay downtown late as traffic leaving St. Petersburg after the game, roughly around 10 p.m., will be equally thick.