Travel advice needed

[Restorer32]

Have to pull the closed trailer from PA to Long Island Saturday to pick up a car. Looking for local knowledge on best route to avoid traffic and not fall afoul of "no trucks" hiways? Anyone care to share? Been years since we've towed that close to the city.

[Friartuck]

I assume you have a regular pick Up and tag along trailer, not a truck. My Suggestion:

 

PA pike to NJ pike

NJ pike north to exit 10 (Edison)

East on Interstate 287 which runs into RT-440

Over the Outer Bridge Crossing Bridge

North on West Shore Expressway to Interstate I-278

I-278 East and over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Continue on I-278 Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) to I-495 Long Island Expressway (LIE)

Take I-495 LIE East to your destination.

All tolls should have EZ Pass.

 

Revised based on trucks prohibited on NY Parkways.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Friartuck (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

Yep, pickup and trailer.

[Guest AlCapone]

I assume you have a regular pick Up and tag along trailer, not a truck. My Suggestion:

 

PA pike to NJ pike

NJ pike north to exit 10 (Edison)

East on Interstate 287 which runs into RT440

Over the Outer Bridge Crossing Bridge

North on West Shore Expressway to Interstate 278

RT 278 East and over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

East on Belt Parkway also called Shore Parkway

East on Southern State Parkway to your destination.

 

All tolls should have EZ Pass.

Talk about helpful! This poster went way beyond ! what a great guy. Wayne

[Restorer32]

Yes he is, we help each other out regularly.

[Annie G]

Easy - DON'T DO IT!! lol Being a former LI'er, there's always traffic on LI.  Try and travel at off-peak times - like 2am on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

On a slithly more serious note, don't go on any Parkways - they are for cars only

[padgett]

Does that include SUVs with a travel trailer ?

[Walt G]

You can't tow any trailer with anything (car, SVU, truck) on a parkway on long island. The parkways were built in the 1`925-40 era and bridges that cross over are lower then more modern ones.

 

Best time to travel is Sunday early , say 6 to 9 am coming out and going back early afternoon. Especially at this time of the year the traffic should not be bad if any at all.

Regarding the suggested 2am on Monday and Tuesday travel time - you won't see the pot holes in the road and will be driving in the dark - perhaps not the best time to read signs either,

 

Directions given were accurate, just be careful on the Brooklyn - Queens Expressway, not my favorite road.

[John348]

I assume you have a regular pick Up and tag along trailer, not a truck. My Suggestion:

 

PA pike to NJ pike

NJ pike north to exit 10 (Edison)

East on Interstate 287 which runs into RT-440

Over the Outer Bridge Crossing Bridge

North on West Shore Expressway to Interstate I-278

I-278 East and over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge

Continue on I-278 Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) to I-495 Long Island Expressway (LIE)

Take I-495 LIE East to your destination.

All tolls should have EZ Pass.

 

Revised based on trucks prohibited on NY Parkways.

 

^^^^^^^^DO NOT GO WITH THE ABOVE DIRECTIONS!^^^^^^^^^ 

 

I grew up in The Bronx and have lived over 40 years of my adult life on Long Island. I own a 28 foot enclosed car trailer and travel on and off of here with my trailer several times a year, so as you can see I am not a tourist who happens to come here once in awhile, or giving directions I got on Mapquest.The above directions are the absolute worst possible way you can go (other then traveling through Manhattan) with a passenger car let alone pulling a trailer.

 

There is traffic here but then again there is traffic in Philly. The trick is all about timing, Sunday morning the earlier the better, and try to get to NJ before 2PM you should be good to go 

 

Take the GW Bridge if you have EZ pass stay to the far left and stay in the left lane going over the bridge, to the Cross Bronx expressway, to the Throgs Neck Bridge, Take the Clearview Expressway to 495 (LIE) east. It is the only way I will go and I have tried them all. The trip through the Bronx is about 6 miles bridge to bridge which is the only urban part. 

 

As pointed out DO NOT GO ON ANY PARKWAYS  

Edited January 5, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)

[padgett]

The definition of trailer in http://www.hudsonvalleytraveler.com/perl/ParkwaysDefinitions.pl is interesting. Trailer. Any vehicle not propelled by its own power drawn on the public highways by a motor vehicle as defined in this section, except motorcycle sidecars, vehicles being towed by a nonrigid support and vehicles designed and primarily used for other purposes and only occasionally drawn by such a motor vehicle.

 

( towed by a nonrigid support ~ rope or chain).

 

One could say my trailer is designed for camping and is just occasionally towed between camping spots.

 

ps ever see the race start sequence in Gumball Rally ? Mustabin a Sunday morning.

Edited January 5, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[John348]

The definition of trailer in http://www.hudsonvalleytraveler.com/perl/ParkwaysDefinitions.pl is interesting. Trailer. Any vehicle not propelled by its own power drawn on the public highways by a motor vehicle as defined in this section, except motorcycle sidecars, vehicles being towed by a nonrigid support and vehicles designed and primarily used for other purposes and only occasionally drawn by such a motor vehicle.

 

( towed by a nonrigid support ~ rope or chain).

 

One could say my trailer is designed for camping and is just occasionally towed between camping spots.

 

ps ever see the race start sequence in Gumball Rally ? Mustabin a Sunday morning.

 

What does this have to do with the OP's question?  Could we stay on topic??? 

[Restorer32]

Unfortunately we have to do the trip this Saturday morning.

[Friartuck]

I concede that John348 route is a smoother ride. If you can get over the GW bridge at 6:00 AM, you'll be fine.

[Annie G]

Unfortunately we have to do the trip this Saturday morning.

 Leave as early as possible!!!  Seriously - because you will then be in traffic on the way back also.

 

No trailers at all on any parkways.   Doesn't matter what's towing it.

[Restorer32]

We have to meet customer at 10:30 in Setauket so we planned to leave here at 5:00 but maybe we should leave at 3:00 in hopes of crossing the bridge earlier. Total distance is only 253 miles. Glad for the advice, exactly why we asked for local knowledge. "Ask the man who's driven it".

[John348]

You are still good on a Saturday, just a little more volume. Again like pointed out earlier the earlier the better. If you can start on your return trip to get to the GW by 2PM it should be real easy. Again anything can happen. Let me check there was some bridge repair work going on and that can throw a ripple into the lake.

The big problem when commuting to Long Island is that there are several routes, but you must commit to those routes about 30-20 miles out from the city, once committed you are pretty much at the point of no return and can be "stuck" with that route without a native guide, and with a trailer you are stuck, side streets will not really help only can hurt

 

By the way the tolls just went up, so it is going to cost you close to $100 bucks now to get on and off the island.

 

It really is intimidating and  that's all, we all have heard and even lived the horror stories. Tune you radio to 880 AM and 1010 AM for traffic updates in case of a disaster.

 

Again if the sign reads "No Commercial Vehicles" that means you also. Just don't trust your GPS because it will take you where you can't go

Edited January 5, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

We tow around DC, I95 and the Beltway on a regular basis so we are not strangers to traffic. At least driving to NYC there is some scenery to look at. Last time I was thru there, on my way to Connecticut, I was missed a toll booth because I was in an EZ Pay lane and couldn't move. Of course in about a week I got a photo of my truck and a request for payment of the toll. No trailer that time. Still spent maybe 1/2 hour on the GW bridge.

[edinmass]

GW bridge was 45 dollars for my pick up and trailer last month, one way.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Jeff, I have to agree with John.  We had to go there this year a few times and the person who lives on Long Island told us to go the Rte. John suggested.  The traffic was not that bad but I am use to 30 years of Chicago traffic so it did not bother me that much.  Rural PA folks seem to think a couple of car back up is traffic!   Good Luck!!

[John348]

GW bridge was 45 dollars for my pick up and trailer last month, one way.

 

I read it just went up, by the way the toll is only "one way". Also there is another set of bridge tolls both ways on the Throgs Neck, I think that is now $30 for the round trip more if paid with cash and no EZ pass.

 

My wife and I have a 20 game plan for the NY Yankees, and the tickets are far from cheap, but the cost of the tolls and the parking really add up getting on and off of this Island. The Stadium is about 1 1/2 miles south of the GW bridge and we make it home from our seats to our front door in Long Island anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, mostly 30 minutes

Edited January 5, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

A few years ago we had to make 3 round trips to the Kissel Museum in Hartford, Wisconsin and the only sensible route takes you thru Chicago. 6 lanes with a trolley lane in the center and train tracks alongside the road. Nerve racking for sure but the worst traffic we've ever encountered was around Boston.

[danleblanc]

A few years ago we had to make 3 round trips to the Kissel Museum in Hartford, Wisconsin and the only sensible route takes you thru Chicago. 6 lanes with a trolley lane in the center and train tracks alongside the road. Nerve racking for sure but the worst traffic we've ever encountered was around Boston.

 

 

Being up on the other side of Maine, I inadvertently on my first trip to Hershey by way of the GPS ended up on the Cross Bronx Expressway and the GEW Bridge.  Let's just say give me Boston traffic any day over NYC.

 

Now, I just take I-495 to miss Boston to the Mass Pike, then I-84 to Scranton, and I-81 south to Hershey.  ANYTHING to avoid NYC here!!!

[Restorer32]

Yea, any time we have to go Northeast it's 81 to Scranton, then 84 East.

[John348]

We tow around DC, I95 and the Beltway on a regular basis so we are not strangers to traffic. At least driving to NYC there is some scenery to look at. Last time I was thru there, on my way to Connecticut, I was missed a toll booth because I was in an EZ Pay lane and couldn't move. Of course in about a week I got a photo of my truck and a request for payment of the toll. No trailer that time. Still spent maybe 1/2 hour on the GW bridge.

 

 

The problem in NYC, Boston and Chicago is the infra-structure is very old (pre WWII) and there is very little chance for any modernization. One little glitch can have a ripple affect causing huge delays. Worst traffic I hit was outside of Chicago toward Indiana to pay a what I remember a 35 cent toll.

 

 I would like to offer you a few inside tricks to make the trip a little easier. Just as a rule of thumb I leave  Hershey/Harrisburg with my trailer at around 8 AM on Sunday each year, I take 81 to 78 to 287 north to 80 east. I am crossing the bridge at 10:15. At my house by 11:30 AM total trip is 210 miles door to door. one thing I noticed that is screwed up is New Yorker's seldom use RT numbers for the road, and to be honest I don't even know what they are 

 

Fuel- Top off your fuel in NJ on your way to NY (I usually stop near the Delaware Gap) there really are not too many trailer friendly fuel stops as you close in on NYC and seems to me that the get off, fuel up,  get back on exits  a few and far between. You do NOT to look for fuel in the Bronx! If you are coming up the NJTPK no problem, just get it in NJ much cheaper! (this goes for rest room stops also)

 

1) You can only take the upper level of the GWB, Do not get fooled by the express and local signs, you can take either one, what ever the sign that says the best route to take to the bridge, it is correct!

 

2) You have no easy pass so you will have to pay cash, stay toward the center or the left, there is less of a merge and the left lane seems to move the best over the bridge. Once over the bridge there are some merges, this area is known "as under the apartments" lower level is now the same level, You are now in Manhattan at this point. There might be a left hand exit (I am sort of on auto-pilot I don't really pay attention too much) just stay straight but avoid the right lanes! Coming up is the exit/entrance for the Major Degan/Bruckner Expressway, very short ramps and everyone is cutting over to the right.  Once you get past that stay in the middle lane, the short entrance ramps continue all of the way so it is best to stay in the middle lane

 

3) You are going to go only a few miles and you will see the exit for I am pretty sure it's Westchester Ave, (please forgive me NYC guys give directions that are sort of down the block round the corner) start working your way over to the right,

 

4) Signs should say Long Island, Throgs Neck Bridge, Whitestone Bridge, so when you get off to the right stay to the left toward the Throgs Neck Bridge, (you will see some old looking gothic buildings to your right I went to school there). As you come to the Throgs Neck Bridge, go to the furthest left CASH lane you can. Crossing the bridge Stay in the middle, nice view of the NYC skyline on the bridge. The right lane exits to the Cross Island Parkway DO NOT GO THERE! Continue straight only a few miles 495 East or LIE, when you get off on the exit the ramp forks you stay to left which will bring you east....

 

Return

1) LIE west to The Clearview, this is another one of those exits that forks, stay to the right it comes up fast, Clearview north, or Bronx. as you approach the bridge stay in middle lane there is a merge on the right. When you get to the toll also stay to the furthest left cash lane.

2) After toll stay to left, road forks to New England Thru-way to the right. There is another fork about a mile down that is for the Bruckner/Degan, stay to the Left Cross Bronx Expressway

3) As you are getting close to the GW you will see "the apartments" (you will know which I mean when you see them) stay to the left, follow upper level and you will be good to go! 

 

This sounds worse then what it really is.

 

And if you want a little bit of History of the Cross Bronx Expressway, you might find this interesting, it might make the 5 mile drive through the urban blight of the Bronx (my hometown) a little more interesting

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWFYeKKpBp4

[Restorer32]

Happily we now have EZ Pass.

[Restorer32]

Here in small town PA I joke that I have a brutal 8 minute commute to the shop. Up until 3 years ago there were zero stop lights, now we have 3, thanks to our new $65 million Middle School.

[Guest j.Illeney]

I drive the GWB  cross Bronx everyday to work, Saturday am will be good before 8, after 2 pm its a whammy but no toll going back - safe trip !!

 

 by the way I have driven my model a ford tudor to work a few times going in is easy back is cut throat !!!

[John348]

So how did the trip go? You were lcuky that you went on Saturday, today it is pouring rain never any good for NYC -Metro Traffic! I have to go today to Brooklyn to visit my son and his family and I am dreading it with this weather.

Hope I was able to help

[Guest AlCapone]

So how did the trip go? You were lcuky that you went on Saturday, today it is pouring rain never any good for NYC -Metro Traffic! I have to go today to Brooklyn to visit my son and his family and I am dreading it with this weather.

Hope I was able to help

No response, you don't suppose he got lost do you ? Wayne

[John348]

No response, you don't suppose he got lost do you ? Wayne

 

Naaaa, would heard about it on the news by now

[Restorer32]

John348 and others, thanks to your detailed directions the trip was a breeze. No traffic back ups or slow downs whatsoever up or back. Just clear sailing both ways. Yes, it is obvious when you are "under the apartments". We hit the GWB about 8:00 and crossed back over about 1:45. Interesting Gothic building where you went to school John. Is it still a school? Appears to be well maintained. The difficult part of the trip was loading the '60 Cadillac Eldo Biarritz that was the subject of the trip. Flat tires, easily taken care of with the air tank we carry, frozen rear wheel, not so easy to deal with. Happily we were able to drag the car into the trailer using a floor jack to raise the rear and some old fashioned muscle power. All in all, an uneventful trip. Was Son's first time driving around NYC so it was good practice for him. Paid $1.95 for diesel in Jersey, which was a bonus. We have 18 months to do a complete show restoration of the Caddy. Reasonably solid and complete non running car but it needs everything, including new floors. We do like a challenge.

[Guest AlCapone]

You should carry a set of garage skates with you. Then flats and frozen wheels are no problem. Wayne

[Restorer32]

We had skates with us which were useful to get the car out of the storage unit but we couldn't use them to pull the car into the trailer because the wheels of the skates like to go thru the plywood trailer floor. The real problem was that there was not enough space between the rows of storage units to get the trailer lined up with the door so we had to pull the car at a right angle to the trailer until we got it out of its space and turned around. We used a snatch block and one of the trailer tie downs to do the almost 90 degree pull. Getting it out of the trailer won't be easy but at least we have more manpower and equipment here at the shop. A '60 Caddy pretty much fills a 24' trailer.

[John348]

John348 and others,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Gothic building where you went to school John. Is it still a school? Appears to be well maintained......................

 

Yes it is! and some of the buildings are still in use, The most noticeable of the building is still used as Saint Josephs School for the Deaf, and Monsignor Scanlon High School is also on the located on the original property of Saint Josephs where I am affiliated,(it used to be called Saint Helena's and changed name in the early 70's) on the western side of the Hutchinson River Parkway. The buildings go back to the 1870's, the Saint Helena's building are in disrepair to the point where I don't think they use many of the original buildings. It might hard to believe but The Bronx was a pretty special place at one time. 

Edited January 11, 2016 by John348 (see edit history)