NEW TAMPA, Fla. — New Tampa has one of the slowest emergency response times in the city, and a cut-through on K-Bar Ranch Parkway that is supposed to help has been closed for months amid repeated delays.
A "road closed" sign has sat at the end of K-Bar Ranch Parkway for months. Residents say they are frustrated as new homes continue to go up in the area while the roadway remains unfinished.
"There's plenty of frustration," said Robert Rodriguez, a New Tampa resident. "Communities are being built, families are being moved in before a road is being done."
Rodriguez said he has watched the neighborhood grow firsthand.
"I'm an electrician, so I built half those houses back there, so I know kind of how fast they went up," Rodriguez said. "Like within 2 years they probably built over 200 homes."
But the infrastructure has not kept up with the growth. According to Google Maps, it takes about 17 minutes for someone to go from one side of the construction project to the other, which connect drivers to Morris Bridge Road.
"I don't understand if it's permitting or labor issues, but it should have been done," Rodriguez said. "It should have been done a year ago or so."
The delay is contributing to some of the worst emergency response times in the area. The latest data shows that fire stations in New Tampa — including 20, 21, 22 and 23 — are averaging around 10 minutes to respond to calls.
"One is there in Cross Creek," said Raj Anbu, a New Tampa resident. "Generally it takes like 15 to 20 minutes to reach, but fire will not wait for that 15 to 20 minutes."
Nick Stocco, the president of the Tampa Firefighters Union, said the goal for all fire crews should be around four minutes or less.
"When someone calls 911, every second matters, whether it's a structure fire, cardiac arrest, or another life-threatening emergency," Stocco said in a statement.
Stocco added that the Morris Bridge Road connection will help, but the area needs another fire station in K-Bar Ranch, more firefighters and more response units.
Locals agree, saying traffic can get especially tricky when an emergency happens.
"Say for example, in this junction, if any accident happens, the entire flow stops," Anbu said. "People who are traveling, they'll get stuck for maybe like minimum 20 to 30 minutes."
City leaders said they expect this cut-through to open by the end of November.
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