GW Bridge Construction Alert, and How to Avoid It

As of August 5^th, expect delays at the GW Bridge. 

The George Washington Bridge is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation project to repair the aging upper level. Nighttime work has most lanes of upper roadway completely closed. 

This week, Jersey bound lanes will be closed from 11 pm to 5 am, and starting next week inbound lanes will be closed at the same times. As usual, residual morning delays may occur until 6-7 am. They will adjust lane closures accordingly with Yankee games.

What does this mean? At night, the CBX Westbound / 95 N is going to be a nightmare . The Deegan will be slightly better. After next week, expect inbound delays of up to an hour. Lower level recommended if you have to take the bridge. Upper Manhattan is going to suck for the rest of the month.

My suggested night time route is to take one of the tunnels from in town, or the Verrazano / Goethells combo if coming from the south. For all other times of day, my advice remains to always default to the lower level unless you hear reports of massive Deegan delays or a Yankee game.

Escort Announces New Passport Max Detector and an End to False Alarms

Today I was cruising along I-95 south, coming out of the GWB. Right after the 80 split, I get passed by an Accord hauling ass. I slow down, because I know better; A Jersey State Trooper always camps out on the left, waiting to pounce on the unaware speeder coming around that bend. Even though he is right out in the open, by the time the Honda saw him, it was already too late. Speed traps down here aren’t always on the side of the road, sometimes they stalk congested traffic in unmarked units as well, and even use the occasional air unit. I have yet to find a detector that works effectively in metro NY. It’s a challenge for any system because the amount of signal interference makes it constantly chirp for false alarm. 

I got news the other day of a new detector announced from Escort, which makes some lofty promises and might be worth checking out. Apparently this device is a bit different because it contains an intelligent signal analysis which reads signals differently to cut down on the amount of false alerts. It also packs in a longer range, and faster response time, so you get that extra split second to hit your brakes if needed.

But back to the guy in the Accord - This radar detector also has access to GPS location technology, so if he had this system, it would have likely alerted the offender that there was always a speed trap here. The “Defender Database” as it’s called also flags the location of speed cams and other threats to provide advance warning.

At $549 it’s a bit of a lofty price for a windshield unit, but it has some nice features such as a customizeable OLED display that flows with your ride’s interior, and displays a wealth of useful information.

https://www.escortradar.com/passportmax/index.php

See below for press release from Escort

ESCORT Debuts Ultra-Fast PASSPORT® Max™ HD Radar Detector, Powered by Advanced Military Technology

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Category leading innovator and holder of over 85% of radar patents,ESCORT Inc. (escortinc.com) raises the radar detector performance benchmark again with the release of its all-new High Definition PASSPORT^® Max™ radar & laser detector. Using advanced military technology, PASSPORT Max™ delivers high definition performance with ultra-fast signal processing and unprecedented noise filtering. 

“Our new PASSPORT Max™ is the best detector we have ever made," said John Larson, ESCORT President and CEO. 

True Digital Signal Processing allows PASSPORT Max™ to achieve ultra–fast processing speeds, unprecedented range reporting and DNA intelligent signal analysis for the ultimate in alert clarity. 

PASSPORT Max™ establishes never before seen performance levels for radar and laser ticket protection. 

By designing PASSPORT Max™ around advanced military high speed digital signal processing (DSP) technology, ESCORT engineers have given PASSPORT Max™ the ability to search for threats fifty times faster than any other radar detector.  PASSPORT Max™ literally scans for radar threats faster than 'the blink of an eye' (a human eye blink takes several hundred milliseconds while PASSPORT Max™ scans signals more than twice as fast).  

This dramatic increase in speed delivers a corresponding leap in detection capability and range. 

In an advanced new product test overseen by the category's leading authority, Speed Measurement Labs (SML), PASSPORT Max™ established three new benchmarks for the detector category.  Setting new records for longest range, fastest response time and greatest sensitivity, PASSPORT Max™ displayed the best performance that SML had ever witnessed. 

"In 30 years of impartial testing, we haven't seen this level of reporting range or immediacy of alerts by any other radar detector," said Speed Measurement Labs President and CEO.

In one test, physicists used an extremely low powered radar gun to test sensitivity. Typically, detectors do not see this source beyond the one-mile mark but PASSPORT Max™reported the same source from beyond seven miles! 

In another SML test, PASSPORT Max™proved its extremely fast response time by alerting to measured test signals more than four times faster than any competitor detector ever tested. 

To determine how far PASSPORT Max™could alert, SML engineers used the longest physical distance on the range. PASSPORT Max™reported every gun, every signal, to more than fifteen miles (standard detector testing for the SML range ends at nine miles as detectors predictably cannot pick up such weak test signals). PASSPORT Max™simply reported alerts from the longest distance ever tested. 

Additionally, high speed military DSP enables the PASSPORT Max™ to process signals with more than an order of magnitude increase in measured selectivity. An order of magnitude translates into a ten-fold increase in performance. This new level of selectivity, or intelligent signal analysis, is similar to the dramatic performance increase seen in forensics when technicians moved from fingerprint readings to the science of DNA analysis. 

PASSPORT Max™ 'sees' the DNA of every received signal, a technology that no other detector possesses. 

For drivers this means an entirely new level of signal information and awareness. PASSPORT Max™ filters the true alerts, those from radar guns, from unwanted false alerts, such as automatic door openers and motion sensors, that competitor radar detectors cry 'wolf' to over and over again.  PASSPORT Max™ reports with an accuracy that exceeds any other technology ever driven.

"...this is the best radar detector ever made," said leading industry analyst, Radar Roy.

PASSPORT Max™ also features a new high definition OLED (organic LED) multi-color graphics display. Drivers can choose up to four different colors for displaying critical driving information such as posted speed limits, over speed alerts, driving speed and more. 

The high speed DSP detector also includes ESCORT's patented GPS Location Awareness technology, which enables PASSPORT Max™ to alert to fixed position threats including red light and speed cameras, major speed traps and future threat technologies as they unfold. 

PASSPORT Max™ includes a mini-USB port for quick connection to the internet for software expansion, data base updates and more. With Internet connectivity, ESCORT engineers can always keep PASSPORT Max™ at the leading edge of detector performance.

PASSPORT Max™ is designed to connect with ESCORT's multi-award winning ESCORT Live™ ticket protection network. ESCORT Live™ helps customers drive smarter by dramatically increasing overall knowledge of their driving environment through threat and information sharing among networked drivers.

"As the category innovator, we simply keep pushing radar detector technology to new performance standards – PASSPORT Max™ establishes a completely new level of driving awareness and protection," said Tim Coomer, ESCORT Product Development Vice-president. "PASSPORT Max™ is the new best-in-class performance with record measured alert speed, record measured range and record measured selectivity for superior performance."

PASSPORT Max™ continues ESCORT's 30 plus year dominance of the radar detector category.

PASSPORT Max retails for $549.95 and is available factory direct. 

For more information on the new ESCORT PASSPORT Max™ HD Radar Detector, ESCORT Live™ ticket protection app and ESCORT's complete line of premium automotive products, visit ESCORTinc.com or, call the company direct at 800.433.3487.

About ESCORT Inc. 
ESCORT Inc. is the leading manufacturer of high-performance radar and laser detectors, the patented ESCORT Live™ real-time ticket protection network, ESCORT MobileTV™, Guardian Alert reverse obstacle detection systems, Entourage GPS-enabled navigation and tracking products, ESCORT QuickStart™ and other Drive Smarter products.  ESCORT manufactures products under the ESCORT, PASSPORT, Max, REDLINE, SOLO, Vector and BELTRONICS brands. The company is headquartered in West Chester, Ohio, with its principal manufacturing facility located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Two SUV’s, Two Very Different Designs: The New 4Runner and Pathfinder

Sometimes I give Toyota crap for having no soul, making immensely popular cars that get about as exciting as tying my shoes in a double knot. Conversely, as a Nissan enthusiast I typically find their designs refreshing and performance engaging. With the domestic market heating up, these two auto giants from the land of the rising sun are going to be doing battle for market share in a very vital segment, the flagship SUV. But their tactics this time around couldn't be more different, and when the smoke clears, it will be interesting to see what resonates with consumers. 

This weekend, Toyota unveiled the new 4Runner at the Stagecoach Music Festival, and it’s a stunner.  Fat tires, a cowl for the SR5, gunmetal rims, running boards, gorgeous headlights, and a front end that’s aggressive as hell. The 4Runner is something of an SUV icon; it’s been around forever, and has legendary reliability and durability. In fact, if the apocalypse were to happen tomorrow, this might just be the car I would choose. But that's a story for another day. With off road chops and an aggressive demeanor, this new truck doesn’t hide its Hilux roots, and looks like it’s ready for a foreign paramilitary group to throw a .50 cal on the roof and call it a day. 

The brand-spanking new 2014 Toyota 4Runner announced this weekend

I applaud Toyota for the eight-page press release and innovative product announcement at a mainstream country music festival in LA.It is also great to see that they didn't follow in the footsteps of many other automakers, and make their SUV a uni-body grocery-getter in the interest of driving sales. It started with the Ford Explorer, and many other automakers have followed suit in pursuit of marketshare. 

Looks like Toyota is starting to get its soul back.

Which brings me to next point. Nissan, what did you do to the Pathfinder? I used to make it a habit to rent Pathfinders when I went on business. highly capable, and the Armada version has crazy cargo room. The style was boxy and mean, and like most Nissans, a face only a mother could love. 

 

The new Pathfinder

But I hope this is a good move, and we should all wish Nissan the best of luck in gaining traction in a highly competitive market. From a business prospective  its easy to understand why. First, the core consumer for these SUV's doesn't go off road, and this is a much more approachable design. Secondly, the redesign allows it to share sheet metal with the Inifiti JX, where the J stands for "Jacked up minivan". 

Breaking Up is Hard to Do...

I know it's been a while, but we need to have a talk.

Really, its not you, its me. This blog was started years ago when I began my insane commute. Since the relationships inception, my hosting partner was Wordpress. They were easy, always accessible and good looking. But it had its limitations, and I think I have outgrown it. To Clarify, our relationship was doomed when they made my blog unreadable when I tried discontinued my domain name.  Since I have already resigned my life to Google's services, it made sense to convert to the Blogspot service, and gain the ability to edit code, get better SEO, and get AdWords.

For the future, this will be the new home of the 107 Miles blog, including all of my commuting insight, car lust and more than occasional rant.

How to Tell if it's a Boy Car

I like to consider myself a good marketer. I am confident in my ability to properly read demographics well, and create a comprehensive marketing plan that addresses a consumer’s needs and wants, while anticipating the desires for the target market for any given product. It’s not that I’m not being modest, it’s just that this is my job, it’s what I do for a living. But there is just one product out there that completely baffles me. I just can’t wrap my head around the existence of this product and who buys it. I am of course referring to “Truck Nutz”.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Truck Nutz, the concept is this -  it’s a pair of testicles that you can hang from the trailer hitch of your truck. They come in a variety of colors, but predominantly chrome. You can even get a set that lights up. Average retail price is about $45. You don’t see a lot of these in metro NY, where pick-ups are about as rare as a Waffle House.  And by the way, if you want a good laugh, search Amazon for Truck Nutz. And then go through the reviews. Don’t waste time on the fake reviews, but see the real reviews of people that actually take the time to write about their satisfaction or distaste for a product they ordered.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chapstickaddict/2787491967/in/photostream/



Average Truck Nutz sighting surprisingly with FL tags.

I am about to take off once again for Texas, land of F-150’s, Dodge Rams and good ol’ boys. I’m sure I’ll be seeing lots of these appendages affixed to the rear of many a truck, further elevating my confusion. Lets take a second to look at the target market; Keep in mind, this is in no way official, and based purely off of my observation from spending lots of time in the south and in rural areas. Your average customer for this product, and for pickup trucks in general is going to be utility focused and male. Typically, they are of a conservative background with conservative views. Based also off of the reviews for his product, a good chunk of the sales of this product also are the result of gag gifts. This I can understand.

Knowing these things, one has to ask the question, “Why the hell do you have a set of chrome balls hanging off the back of your truck?” I’m thinking about getting a set for my Maxima to see how they look, and evaluate if they (1.) Make women stop in traffic and ask me for my number because they are so overwhelmed by my masculinity and (2.) Raise my testosterone by measurable levels, thus making me more manly.

But maybe I’m just being judgmental. There are a lot of aftermarket enhancements I can’t understand, including fake stick-on louvers, Spinners, and just about any bumper sticker that doesn't start with “my kids an honor student at…”.

One of these days I’m going to roll down my window and ask a driver why he has purchased a set of Truck Nutz.  But really,  I don’t think I would have the balls to do that….

How to conserve fuel in the gas line

Its starting to look like “Massapequa Beyond Thunderdome” out there. While all of us in the Northeast are subject to long lines at the pump, we have to wonder how much gas we are burning sitting in the long lines at the pump. Here are the ways to maximize fuel efficiency while sitting in long lines.

But since there is so much variation in fuel saving tech in cars, my recommendation is you try different things, between being in gear and in park to see where the car idles at the lowest speed, based on looking at the Tachometer.

Don’t be on the brake and in Drive (D) -For most cars, when the drive gears are engaged, gas is being fed to the motor to propel the car forward. Keeping your foot on the brake wastes this into braking energy, which consumers more gas.Try it: let go of the brake, don’t touch the gas, and the car moves forward, using fuel.

You should be in Park (P) -  This consumes the least amount of gas while driving the alternator and necessary systems.

Don’t be in Neutral -  Most cars automatically detect when a car is idling and shut down the fuel injectors. This is unless the car in Neutral (N), and then the car will rev at a constant rate, as shifting the car into neutral disables the auto fuel cut-off. Additionally, when you are in Neutral, you stand the risk of rolling.

Shut it down: if you plan to sit for more than 3- 5 minutes at a time, shut down the motor. It is true that this does cause stress to the starter, but it’s a myth that it takes more gas to start a car. At this point the wear and tear might be worth the gas savings, but if you hear your starter making funny sounds like whirring or buzzing, avoid doing this.

Avoid running auxiliary systems, especially A/C  -  keep using the heat to a minimum, and make sure your A/C is off -  most modern defoggers automatically turn on the A/C, which eats gas, so make sure you check this. running things like radio and hazards lights are fine, but try and keep the heat blower to a minimum.

Start/Stop systems -  If you drive a newer car, odds are you might have a start/stop system in the car, which automatically stops the drive motor when sitting to save fuel. Check your vehicles documentation to see if your car has this system enabled. If this is the case, keep it in gear, and stay on the brake.

Tire pressure: Cold contracts air, reducing the amount of air pressure in your tires. For maximum fuel efficiency, have your tires filled to the recommended PSI, located inside your driver’s side door well.

Air Filter -  Have a clean one.
Source: Car and Driver magazine, http://goo.gl/QZpxl

Commuting with Sandy

It’s been a long time since I have written anything. Just too busy with work, doing the daily grind. But then along came Hurricane Sandy, and turned all of our worlds upside down in the Northeast. After seeing the devastation on the rest of the South Shore of LI, I feel that my family and I were lucky with minimal property damage and no injuries. A little preparation went a long way. Having no power was a slight inconvenience considering what others have gone through.

But now we are trying to bring our lives back to normal, which includes getting to work. The rest of the world has n0t stopped, so getting to and from the job and navigating Metro NY has challenges we need to be aware of.

Gas

First and foremost is the gas situation. Its bad, but we all saw it coming. The lines are a good 1-3 miles long in Nassau County, and from what I hear its getting bad in other places too. My friend in Dutchess County tells me they are now getting short on gas because all the Westchester people are flocking there for fuel. The best advice right now is to wait. People’s hoarder mentality takes over, so if you can restrict driving, do it. That gas is better served in someone generator keeping a family warm or for someone who doesn’t have the ability to telecommute. The situation should remedy itself in a few more days, but until then, sit tight. Take mass transit, car pool, and work from home.

But what if it doesn’t get better and the world gets all Mad Max on us? At that point, people are going to be looking to siphon gas, if they haven’t already, and you may have to defend. Most modern cars are secondary targets because the gas tank needs to be pried open. The best targets for stealing gas will also be SUV’s because of their larger thanks and higher ground clearance makes it easy to puncture a tank. So what can you do for defense?

To avoid being siphoned, it’s a team effort. You and someone you park near should park tank to tank, with not enough room to fit in between. For example, in a driveway, one car goes in forward, and the other backs in parallel within inches of the first car. Rear wheel to rear wheel, this should block any access to both tanks. One of you will likely have to crawl in your passenger side, but its better then being stuck on E. while of course this will not stop a determined thief, it will likely make them move on to easier targets.

Mass Transit

You know those images that come out of Japan, when trains are so full, they actually hire guys to get a running start and push people in to the cars? Well the LIRR will likely be looking to hire them soon. This morning, I took a 5:25 am LIRR train from Massapequa to Penn station. By the time the train hit the next stop, all of the cars were full. The conductor, who ironically sounded A LOT like Samuel L Jackson was telling people at every stop the train was full and no more passengers were being admitted. Of course, no one listened, and this makes the train late.  Even with limited service, Mass transit is still likely the best option for commuting if you can swing it. The lines are terrible, as are the crowds, but most of the trains are running. The Ferrys into Manhattan are also running, and Metro North is doing well.

But the best advice is to leave early, and travel off peak until the tunnels are pumped out and gas becomes available again.

Bridges and tunnels

If you need to commute, the bridges may be your only option as most of the lower tunnels are still flooded out. Listen to traffic reports for recent closures and maintenance. 

 

Good luck out there, and e smart, and be courteous.