Why the GWB Carmegeddon isn't as bad as we thought it would be...

Last night I decided to take the lower level of the GWB inbound. This was not an error, rather a carefully calculated decision based on upper level toll plaza traffic and CBX traffic on the other side. I decided that the 25 minute trek downstairs was favorable to about 40 minutes upstairs. I would have followed the traffic indicator sign on the 95 approach which listed approximate wait times, but shocker, it wasn’t working.

We have all been warned to avoid the GWB. Everyone says its complete anarchy as 3 lanes are reduced to one, creating an absolute bottleneck and gumming up the full approach. This is actually not true.

[caption id="attachment_579" align="aligncenter" width="300"] this is the three lanes that are on the GWB lower level. the left is the HRD exit, the right is the Deegan exit and in the middle is the CBX approach.[/caption]

In reality, the traffic pattern is not all that different. The 3 lanes in question encompass the Harlem River Drive left exit, the 95 through traffic lane, and the Deegan lane to the left. The Harlem River Drive exits as normally, and about 50 yards later, the other two lanes go into a slow merge. And when I say exit as normally, I mean the left lane moves more rapidly than the 2 right lanes. The middle lane is not for the weary, requiring constant concentration to keep within 6 inches off the bumper of the car in front of you, to prevent the asshats that are too important to wait from cutting in.

I think these pricks are actually thee root cause of most of the  traffic down there, both on the span and in the Harlem River Drive approach. People stop in the middle of the left lane to cut off traffic, which causes that lane to stop moving, in addition to the middle lane. After this it’s 2 lanes merging slowly, which are then expanded out from one lane to two, which actually is an improvement over the cluster that was the previous traffic pattern -Remember that? Lower level and upper level all merging into four lanes, with all of the Deegan bound trucks desperately trying to jockey all the way to right from the other side of the road, through traffic? Yeah, im kind of glad that’s gone.

So in conclusion, the lower level of the GWB right now is not that bad for the weekday commuter, but always add about 10 minutes to drive time. But still consider it off-limits between Thursday night and Sunday night, when all the travelers are on their way to their destination. For now it is an option, but when September hits, I still think its going to be utter chaos.

Carmageddon, NY style and how to avoid it

This is it. Over the weekend, construction began on the inbound (east, into Bronx) side of the lower level of the George Washington Bridge (GWB). This construction is a Port Authority overhauling the half-Century old Alexander Hamilton Bridge, which was basically a bottleneck since it was built, and is the source of many a commuter headaches. This traffic is affecting the Cross Bronx (CBX) East, also known as 95 North. The westbound lanes will continue to crawl as before.

The $407 Million dollar construction project is expected to last three months, but as any Metro NY’er goes, this will likely go into the holidays. At any rate, when traffic significantly picks up again in September, it’s going to be a bigger mess. apparently shoulders are being added, so now if you have to change a tire or stall out, your chances of being run down by a gypsy cab are slightly less.

So it’s commuting day one of the construction, and so far reports are promising as the congestion is light inbound this morning. The upper level is apparently moving smoothly, and the lower level is crawling as it minimized down to one lane. I braved the ride in today, and im preparing for the worst on my ride home today.  This morning, I kissed my wife and Children goodbye, said I didn't know when i would be home, and prepared for the worst.  I am ready for a three hour ride home tonight. Its going to be hot, sticky, and full of road rage, but I wont know unless I try.

So what’s my next option? If this is as bad I think it’s going to be tonight, I am going to have to consider working from my company’s NY headquarters for the next few months, and embracing the LIRR. But here is some advice to how I think you can avoid the delays, which beat sleeping at the office. These apply mostly for commuters, but they can also work for those silly enough to try and cross the Hudson for weekend travel plans.

 

How to avoid the delays:

• Mass Transit - NJ Transit, Path and LIRR all connect within Penn station. It’s actually quite easy to hop a LIRR train, arrive in the station, walk into the NJ transit terminal in Penn, and grab a North East corridor train to your destination, where you can hop on a shuttle, and reverse. Beware though, Secaucus Junction has no parking, and the NJT journey through the Amtrak controlled tunnels coming into Penn can have you sitting for up to 30 minutes as trains are shuffled. Also, keep in mind, NJT trains inbound to Penn average 20 minutes late, so plan your schedule as if trains will be late. And then be pleasantly surprised when they are on time.


• ALWAYS TAKE THE UPPER LEVEL. While the wait at the tolls will be longer, the ride across the span and onto the CBX will be lighter overall.


• From 95, try the lower level local approach, and then hop off into the upper level tolls at the last chance exit


• Keep an eye on the Deegan – When the Deegan overflows, the lower level becomes more congested than the upper level. Pay special attention to not travel during Yankee games, as this will be gridlock.


• Alternate Routes:
  
  
  
  • Routes 9&46 off of 95 is one of my favorites, and it drops you right on the ramp to the upper level. Access it through 95 express lane. Don’t be discouraged by the building traffic on the on-ramp to the road, this is normal, and thins out quickly. Just stay in the left lane the whole way to the upper level.
  
  
  • Lincoln Tunnel / Holland Tunnel - this is actually a pretty good option for most Jersey commuters, assuming you can drive in Manhattan. Certainly expect an uptick in traffic, and pay attention to street closures. Also, don’t assume your GPS will work in the city, where it doesn’t always have line of sight to the satellites. Plan your route out ahead of time.  But during weekends, this is likely your best option. Then take the FDR if you have to go North, or hit the Mid\tTown Tunnel for Long Island.
  
  
  • The Tappan Zee - this might be tempting, but don’t do it unless it’s a weekend and you have to go North of the city.. The traffic really sucks.
  
  
  • Goethals / Verrazano – (Exit 13) if you are coming from South Jersey, this is a good option for you. Just beware the Belt parkway, one of the most notorious traffic roads in the Northeast.
  
  
  
  


• Don’t go near the bridge on Thursday night and Fridays - We know about the delays because it’s in the news. Consider the family from Virginia all packed into a minivan blindly following their GPS to the bridge, who go slowly as they try to figure what lane to be in, and accidently go into the EZ Pass lane when they have cash, etc... and multiply this by 10,000 cars. We all know Friday Afternoons are brutal on the bridges because of the weekenders. Call in Sick, work from home, telecommute from Starbucks, I don’t care, but you cant pay me enough to take this ride on a Thursday and Friday, as it will be minivans and cute-utes as far as the eye can see, with more road rage and breakdowns than you have ever seen.

Good luck, and Godspeed.

 

About the Deegan, and why you need to re-evaluate your decision to drive anywhere tomorrow

What’s the worst road in all of Metro NY? There are a lot of opinions about this, but my second choice for the absolute worst road in the tri state area is the route to the northbound RFK / Triborough including the Major Deegan. (the first choice remains the belt). It’s in a constant state of disrepair, the lanes are way too tight, the volume is overwhelming, and there are just too many damn gypsy cabs and car service drivers who just don’t care about things like turn signals, doing 30 in the left lane or running you off the road as they answer their phone.

1010 AM told me this morning that the outbound GWB was clogged, and the resulting traffic in the CBX was going to be bad. In my personal experience, when the radio says the Cross Bronx is going to be bad it’s an understatement and it usually indicates about a 3 hour delay.  So after I narrowly escaped being sideswiped by the old lady in her Corolla who just had to curl her eyelashes on the Wantagh, I checked the traffic data on my GPS, and I decided that taking the Grand Central to the Deegan and over the RFK would be a better option. I don’t think I made the right call.

This morning I thought I was going to be smart and take the Deegan to get into the GWB, and now I know this was a mistake. I followed signs for RFK. I followed signs for the Triborough. I followed the signs that told me that the Triborough was now renamed the RFK. I had lots of time to sit there and ponder this as I sat in a dead standstill for hours.

There are two major bottlenecks in the Deegan approach. The first is actually in the Grand Central, and its right outside LaGuardia airport, but this is usually only active during rush hour. But the worst by far is around the never ending construction on the on-ramp to get onto the GWB three exiting lanes for two different exits (7N and 7S) are reduced to one lane. Plus, there is a heavy merge with a stop sign (really?!) coming from the left. This is further hindered by the merge onto the CBX which moves at a snails pace as tractor trailers have approximately 100 yards to move over three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. This is a recipe for gridlock, and I don’t think ill be taking it again. I think next time it will be faster to take the Midtown tunnel and go through Manhattan. I do have a question though

Lets do the math -  the CBX backs up, but you know it cannot be more than 6 miles of traffic. The Deegan GCP combo on the other hand can be up to 20 miles of traffic, and you know the end is that massive bottleneck. This is compared to the CBX, which usually thins out by Third Ave. My advice is to stick with the CBX.

But let’s be clear, it’s the week before Memorial Day, and driving anywhere is a mistake as the roads are clogged with travelers going to their vacations. I made it a point to work from Manhattan tomorrow and take the LIRR in, as I know Thursday and Friday is going to be one of the worst traffic days of the year.

 

[caption id="attachment_559" align="aligncenter" width="300"] the bottlenecks on the Deegan are seen on the approach to the GWB ramp.[/caption]

Even Bloomberg feels the sting of metro NY potholes

Spring has officially sprung. The birds are chirping, the weathers wet and it’s slightly warmer outside. The slow creep of water combined with the temperature swings wreak havoc on pavement and can mean only one thing: It’s pothole season.  I’m sure there are a few people who rejoice in this time of year, including alloy wheel repair shops, tire dealers and cold patch manufacturers. The rest of us have to deal with bent rims, blown tires, screwed up alignments and traffic jams as sinkholes get filled by road crews. Ever had a rock fly from broken pavement and go through your windshield at 50 MPH? It sucks. So does sitting in traffic behind a crew blocking two lanes for a repair.

Mayor Bloomberg’s office just announced exciting news in that they will be testing a new machine called the Python, which is made by Python Manufacturing in Saskatchewan, Canada. The new Python is an all-encompassing pothole fixing machine, utilizing only a one man operating crew, and taking up only a single lane of traffic to repair a hole in the pavement. The machine carries its own load of hot asphalt, and fills and tamps the pothole in a matter of minutes.

I haven’t seen one of these out on the road yet, but it’s only a matter of time as the roads start their inevitable seasonal decay. They should probably have one unit solely designated to the Cross Bronx.

See below for Release from Bloomberg’s press office.



Mayor Bloombergs website posted a press release talking about new technology

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER SADIK-KHAN UNVEIL NEW POTHOLE FILLING MACHINE AND BEGIN ROAD PAVING SEASON

 

 Mar 19, 2012  |  NYC.gov

 

 

Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today unveiled a new pothole filing machine and launched the start of road paving season, a months-long, dedicated campaign to resurface streets citywide to maintain them in a state of good repair. The new pothole machine is currently being tested and is designed to fill potholes with fewer crew members and only block one lane of traffic while making road repairs.

Last fiscal year, Department of Transportation crews filled a record 418,000 potholes citywide following extreme winter weather and crews have filled nearly 164,000 potholes so far this fiscal year. The mild temperatures in the past few months enabled crews to extend paving operations through the winter in streets in all five boroughs through targeted resurfacing, strip-paving and wear-and-tear projects that address larger surfaces along key corridors. The department has resurfaced nearly 650 lane miles across the city this fiscal year. The City also is deploying new environmentally friendly treatments such as green asphalt and Aquaphalt Water Curable Cold Patch. The Mayor and Commissioner Sadik-Khan made the announcement in Flushing, Queens today, where they joined a roadway repair crew.

 

 

“Keeping our streets in good condition is essential to our economy and to our quality of life – and that’s why we are always looking for ways to do the job more efficiently,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We’re debuting new technology to repair city streets faster, while closing less lanes to traffic. We also took advantage of the mild winter this year and resurfaced additional key corridors to get a jump on repaving season, and we are on track to repave 1,000 lane miles of city streets this year.”

 

“While DOT crews work to repair streets across the city, we’re testing new technology that can help achieve smoother streets in faster, more efficient ways,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “By applying innovative techniques to street repairs, we are stepping up our efforts to make sure our roadways continue to be in a state of good repair.”

 

The new Python pothole filling machine uses a telescoping arm to place and compact the material used in pothole repairs. It is operated by a single crew member, and allows potholes to be filled from inside the vehicle, maximizing efficiency and safety. The self-contained unit has an arm that can apply the asphalt patch and features a one-ton roller that increase the durability of the repair. Additionally, the Python carries its own hot-asphalt for repairs, eliminating the need for a trailer for materials and other construction equipment. The Department of Transportation will test the Python for several weeks, and observe and monitor the results of its repairs over the coming months.

 

The Department of Transportation continues to invest in technology and research and development to improve street conditions. The agency introduced Green Asphalt into its operations this year for pothole repairs. It is composed of 100 percent recycled asphalt product from New York City’s streets. The agency also is testing a Rosco, another all-in-one pothole repair machine, and a Falcon Asphalt Trailer, which more heats asphalt more evenly to further optimize its pothole repairs. The department now uses electric screeds in resurfacing operations, as well as cold patch, temporary pothole-repair material made from plant-based materials. It also is testing new roadway treatments such as porous asphalt material that provides more traction during inclement weather and Aquaphalt Water Curable Cold Patch, a plant-based, water activated quick-curing pothole filler.

 

Earlier this year, the City introduced the new street ratings map that allows New Yorkers to see a particular street’s rating and when it was last repaved. This builds on the agency’s ongoing efforts to share information about the important work to restore streets and roadways across all five boroughs. The Department of Transportation also continues to chronicle its roadway repair and maintenance work on “The Daily Pothole” blog. The site tracks the agency's pothole-filling efforts with photos of crews making repairs. The number of potholes filled and lane miles resurfaced are updated regularly, and it allows the public to report potholes easily.

 

 

Ambulance chaser – Don’t be that guy.

Last night, I’m sitting on the Cross Bronx which is at a standstill. I assume there’s an accident up ahead, even tough the radio and my GPS have no info. About a quarter mile back, I see an ambulance light up the cherries in my rearview. I’m in the left lane (of course), and is squeezing by on the narrow shoulder. Since its bumper-to-bumper as only the Cross Bronx can do, there isn’t room for me or any other car to fully move over for the ambulance, we can just straddle the middle lane with enough room to let the ambulance by on the tiny shoulder. This is when it happens.

Whoosh. The ambulance sails by. And then before I even have time to blink, a silver 3-series is right on his ass. I mean I have never seen masterful tailgating like this before, as this little Bimmer was following this ambulance at about 20 MPH with less than 6 inches of clearance between bumpers. Keep in mind, I am still half in the right lane when all of the other cars are barreling at me, following the BMW’s lead. A blue A4 nearly clips me as I try to move over, and a Durango manages to squeeze by, but not before honking his horn, like I was the jackass in this scenario.

So here is my conclusion. These people are douchebags. Seriously, how impatient and in a rush are you that you have to risk rear-ending an ambulance just to save a few minutes. The ambulance is on its way to possibly save a life, and this is why it cuts through traffic. From what I could tell about these drivers, these cars were on their way to their mistresses / nail appointments / awkward family dinner when the kids know a divorce is imminent. Hardly the emergency that grants the type of privileges that let someone cut through traffic. Oh yeah, and its also really illegal to do this.

So here’s the lesson for today. Don’t be that guy.

But I also owe you a site update. Sorry I haven’t posted anything in like two months. First it was the holidays, and then it was CES, then it was a lot of business travel. But I got a lot of content out of it, including hands-on reviews of the 2012 Challenger, Ford Fusion, and a ton of images of the real stars of CES, the cars.

Apparently, I missed the memo that it was random shit in the road week in Metro NY.

Commuting this week in Metro NY

I missed the memo, that its “random shit in the road” week. Had I known, I would have been more cautious. Usually I can avoid obstacles, with a high speed straddle, but not the chunk of drywall that flew up and hit me on the Queensboro Bridge, and not the shredded tractor trailer tire that got me on 287. But yesterday I got hit by a bumper, from what appeared to be a Scion TC. BUT I WASN’T EVEN MOVING. Seriously, the thing just flew from the oncoming lane into the front of my car while I was sitting in traffic.

 

But it’s a crazy week out there, and I don’t know what’s going on. Traffic has been brutal on every road, and drivers are insane this week. I watched numerous times as people are fighting on high speed merges, while at least twice a day someone drifts into my lane at high speeds.  A tanker truck accident also has part of the NJ turnpike Western spur closed down, as they have to repave it, because it melted.



Even though today will be lighter because its electioin day, there is some crazy construction to note right now and watch out for:

-GWB, lower level, inbound – they are working on the right hand side, Deegan bound of the GWB lower level. They cut part of a lane out of the hard left merge, which is snarling traffic, as people don’t really understand how to take a tight turn. Expect the upper level to be better.

-Throgs Neck Bridge South - take the Whitestone Queensbound. For the next two weeks, this is going to a be nightmare getting into the tolls, as they have all but 2 lanes closed and split due to construction. The problem is further compounded by only having two cash lanes on either side.

Commuters Vs. Travelers, Round 2

Wow, what a ride last night -  All lanes closed on the Bruckner backs up 95 North / CBX East for miles. Took me an hour to make it to the bridge. But I digress.

It's late May. Its getting warm. Three months of summer and significantly less traffic are just within our grasp, we just have one major hurdle to cross - Memorial Day weekend. Starting Thursday, the roads are going to be a free-for-all of minivans and weekenders blindly following their GPS devices. Get ready for a lot of road rage, accidents and accordion traffic jams that erupt without purpose as the amount of traveler’s increases, once again flooding the roads with discourteous drivers who don’t know the roads and stress behind the wheel.

I can’t wait for the summer, it typically takes me under an hour to get to work, and even the CBX rarely comes to a complete stop. Summer afternoons on the other hand, especially Thursdays and Fridays are another story.

But here are some tips to help your commute this week: Stay strong, after this, its smooth sailing.

-          Most GPS devices tell people to take the following routes -  use these alternates:

• 95/80 -use 9/46


• Whitestone - use the Throgs neck


• LIE - instead take Northern State / GCP


• Cross Island - use the Clearview


• GWB upper level - use the lower level, although sometimes the thought of driving with trucks scares travelers to the lower level.

-          NJ Turnpike Express – It sounds fast, so people take it. Use the local.

-          Go for the inner EZ pass lanes  - weekend stragglers dive into the cash lane at the last minute

-          If you take time off, drive in the morning, never in the afternoon

-          Avoid the Belt Parkway on any afternoon

-          Always watch out for last minute, three lane exit dives at high speed

America's worst traffic roads- and I have sat on 8 of the the top 10.

So I am sitting in dead stop traffic the other day on I-35 North of  Austin, TX wondering to myself, "Wow, this road sucks.  I wonder how it compares o the CBX?"

Imagine my delight today to find out that Autoblog published a story (via  TheDailyBeast ) gathering GPS data to determine the worst roads for traffic in America. While I'll worry about the fact that anyone has access to my GPS data at another time, I found this story to be very interesting, and mostly because I have driven pretty much all of these roads, during rush hour at some point in my life.

Here is the top 10. While I haven't driven #2 and #10, I feel confident that these rating are pretty solid - but I feel as if something isn't quite right with the data, as it omits The 5 Freeway through LA and all of downtown Atlanta. Also I think #4 is a special case -  normally it flows alright, but when that drawbridge opens up, you have to add two hours to your trip time.

And shouldn't it raise a red flag somewhere that 3 of the top 10 are all I-95 within  few hours of eachother?

1. Riverside Freeway/Calif. Highway 91 eastbound, Los Angeles

2. Lunalilo Freeway/I-1 eastbound, Honolulu
3. California Delta Highway/Calif. Highway 4 westbound, San Francisco
4. I-95 southbound, Washington, D.C.
5. Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expressways (I-95 southbound), New York
6. I-35 southbound, Austin-Round Rock
7. Connecticut Turnpike (I-95 northbound), Bridgeport8. I-405 southbound, Seattle
9. Bayshore Freeway (U.S. 101 southbound), San Jose, Calif.
10. Kennedy/Dan Ryan Expressways (I-90/I-94 eastbound), Chicago

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/25/gps-data-gives-us-the-top-20-worst-commutes/

This Mornings Commute Sucked...

This morning, I sat on the CBX for no less than 4 hours. NewsRadio 88 and 1010 Wins were no help, those asshats. They just said  "truck blocking the upper level right lane, expect delays." they say that same phrase  if there is an errant paper cup in the road, it memans nothing. Had I known what I was walking into, I would have taken the Major Deegan, and at least got some scenery out of the deal.

But as I sat in my car for hours, I managed to get a lot accomplished. So here is my list of things to do while sitting in traffic:

• Update your Bluetooth address book


• Clean your entire car


• Refresh yourself on your owner’s manual


• Count the number of Spanish vs. English radio stations


• Try not to piss yourself


• Speaking of pissing yourself, count the number of trucker bombs on the side of the CBX.


• Catch up on emails on your Blackberry


• Affix a big’ole “tuned by Stillen” emblem to my dashboard, because I had nothing else to do. It looks better than I thought it would


• Use Google maps to see what line comes after red for traffic condition