Today I bypassed the Cross Bronx traffic with this one weird trick. You’ll never believe how….

Before reading any further, yes that headline is indeed a satirical play on the current crop of Buzzfeed headlines. But seriously, today I tried something new. On approach to the Throgs Neck, the Traffic Time sign told me the Cross Bronx / 95S (CBX) was going to be over an hour. The 278/87 route on the other hand was 20 minutes. I have never attempted this way before, because looking at my map it just did not make sense. It seemed to be miles out of the way, and dip into the Bronx. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I exited right before the wall of brake lights, and hoped for the best.

And wow, that was easy. The lesson learned today is that if the CBX sucks, hop on to the Bruckner/287 West, and take that a few miles to 87N/Major Deegan. The signs won’t say GWB at first, but just keep following them, and it will drop you off much faster than taking the Triborough bridge route. I have been driving the same route  for nearly 7 years, and was pleasantly surprised to finally find a viable CBX alternative.

Sure, its a couple miles out of the way, but taking the Bruckner/278W instead of the CBX can save you a lot of time

NY Metro Tolls Infographic

I apologize that this is from May, but it’s too cool to not post. And since its only 3 months old, the odds are strong that the tolls have since tripled.  In addition, this doesn’t reflect the reduced EZ Pass rates, which are only in effect on non-peak hours, on days that begin with T while the planets are aligned in the southern sky.

Via @districtdrive via VerySmallAray (http://www.verysmallarray.com/?p=1567)

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.

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.

 

New baby, new shoes, and some new help for commuters

Really? Over a month since my last post? But it isn't for lack of trying. The good news is that I took three weeks off to unplug and to welcome a baby daughter, so there was no commuting. There was also no sleeping or relaxing, but that's par for the course.

Yesterday I had to miss work also had to go get new tires put on and a rim straightened. why? Because on Friday i was cruising through Bethpage Park at about 50 mph when a lady blew a stop sign directly in front of me. She stopped in the middle, so i had to dive left to avoid hitting her and the car behind her. So I pull a full-on power slide, and nail a curb with my driver side and come to a stop. Luckily it wasn't a true curb, one of those gradual concrete risers. So now I have a puncture wound in my Potenza RE960 and a bent rim with some major rash. I spent the weekend trying to find a set of 245/45/18's that were under $300 bucks a piece. she drives fine now, but the wheel points true north at about 12:30, and the alignment is way off. so that's another thing i have to get fixed.

But a lot has been happening since i have been out, mostly thanks to U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-13-NY) and their push of the commuter protection act. Not many people know that Port Authority is actually privately held and one of the aims of the bill is to put tolls back under government control. It also pushes for accountability and transparency. As you probably know, GWB and other PA crossing have had a major toll hike and will be even more in the next few years. These tolls are funding other PA projects that create income through rent yet don't go back into infrastructure or to commuters. Check out the Senator's bill here and give support.

http://grimm.house.gov/press-release/rep-grimm-senator-lautenberg-introduce-commuter-protection-act-return-oversight-unjust

Commuting this week is going to suck.

So, thinking about driving into the city this week? You should probably think twice.

The traffic is only beginning to start. This morning I got on the northern state, and the sign says "Delays to exit 17". That's delays to Goddamn Queens. The signs should just say "Nassau County - delays." Perhaps you can find the best route by using one of those nifty signs that tell you travel times? Good luck with that, as they have all been knocked out of commission since Irene, and sit there with blank displays. Even the level traffic indicator on the GWB hasn't worked in Months, but i guess that's your tolls at work.

First, the Port Authority decided to raise tolls. Again. Now crossing rivers at PA bridges and tunnels is going to cost you 12 bucks in cash, or $9.50 with an EZ pass. Driving a truck? That’s 13 bucks. Per axle. Be prepared for extra long waiting lines at the cash lanes as confused people dig in their cup holders for enough coins to cough up the extra dough. Additionally, those pricks always stay in the EZ pass lane until the last second and then hop over, causing traffic.

Finally, the UN in is town. This means total and complete gridlock across the entire island of Manhattan. Going anywhere from 6th ave to the East River, downtown through the 40's? You should probably walk it, as you'll get there faster. Expect random street closures as dignitaries and the President are in session, and also a tour is expected of the Ground Zero site at some point as well. All those dignitaries have to stay somewhere too, so expect more closures in the AM and afternoon as they leave their hotels. So if you see a convoy of black SUV's coming your way, expect to see a street closure in your future.

Told ya it was gonna suck. Good luck.

Life in the Cash Lane

I made a discovery today that horrified me. As I pulled into the toll booth on the Throgs Neck, I was wondering why the gate hadn’t yet tripped- I looked up, and my heart sank.

 

I then remembered where my EZ Pass was:  Firmly affixed to the windshield in my wife’s CR-V.

 

See, I have been gone for the last two weeks, and my car has sat in the driveway collecting mounds of bird crap and rusty rotors. I was out west for business, and then we took the kid on vacation, and loaded up her car. She let her EZ Pass tag expire, so we used my tag and GPS for the trip.

 

But you know what the worst part about this is? It’s a Friday. I need to add at least an hour of time to my commute tonight to accommodate for all of the weekend travelers who clog the cash lanes on their way to their weekend destinations. Have you ever attempted the inbound GWB on a Friday for the cash lanes? This is going to be a nightmare. This is of course if I remember to actually go into the correct lane, as my lane choices are pretty much an ingrained force of habit at this point.

 

Today I think we all learned something. First, it’s that EZ Pass is worth it. There is always a fight if it should be mandatory for metro NY’ers, and the answer is a resounding YES. After seeing what life is like without it, including the waiting, the higher prices, and the sheer frustration, I’ll never forget it again. Additionally, a lot of time spent idling and polluting the environment could be cut back if it was mandated.  I also learned that the NJ turnpike still uses tickets. Who knew? They actually charge me to drive one hundred yards from the beginning of the Turnpike to my exit ramp.

 

So look for me today -  I’ll be the guy sitting in line with all the minivans in the cash lane, the black car with all the bird crap on it. But that’s another story.

 

[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Today at the NJ turnpike. Until this moment, It had been about 9 years since I have actually had to snag a toll ticket. Shooting a picture while moving and taking a ticket a the same time as piloting a car through a toll plaza is actually a lot harder than it looks."][/caption]

Port Authority plans massive toll hikes

As if the tolls weren't enough already, the Port Authority is planning another round of toll hikes for the river crossings. Average increases would be a shocking 50-100%. The change would affect the GWB, Holland and Lincoln Tunnel, as well as the Goethells, Bayonne, and Outerbirdge Crossing.

NJ.com went into more detail on the increases: (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/port_authority_plans_4_toll_hi.html)

Under the proposal, tolls for cars using E-ZPass would jump by $4 — one of the largest increases in memory — raising the cost from $6 to $10 for off-peak travel and from $8 to $12 in peak hours. An additional $2 increase during peak and off-peak hours would be implemented in 2014.

Motorists paying by cash would be even harder hit, with an additional surcharge of $3, increasing the cash rate from $8 to $15 this year. That surcharge would increase by an additional $2 in 2014.

For trucks using E-ZPass during off-peak hours, tolls would go from $7 to $13 per axle and from $8 to $14 during peak hours, with an additional $2 per axle increase in 2014 for both off-peak and peak periods.

A similar cash surcharge of $3 per axle would be applied to trucks this year with another $2 per axle hike in 2014.

 

That’s a lot of money. And when the Port authority raises tolls, the MTA is typically in step to do the same. The measure is coming to vote on Aug 17^th, and is thankfully subject to veto by either Governor Christie or Cuomo. Reports say both are against such a massive hike.

So why such a startling increase?  The Port Authority press release says:

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL SUPPORTS PROPOSED INCREASE IN BRIDGE AND TUNNEL TOLLS

Date: Aug 08, 2011
Press Release Number: 51-2011

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) today endorsed the toll increase proposed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“On behalf of the 100,000 working men and women represented by our affiliated unions, we support this effort to give The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey the resources needed to maintain and improve its transportation infrastructure,” said Gary La Barbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

“Without this toll increase, 3,900 jobs will be lost and $483 million in Port Authority capital spending will not happen in 2011 alone,” he added.

In addition, the toll increase will help fund the PANYNJ's 10 year, $33 billion capital plan, which will generate more than 185,000 jobs, many of which are in construction.

“The Port Authority's history of investments in bridges, tunnels, mass transit and air travel has been essential to establishing our region as a global center of economic growth and job creation. We can't afford nothing less than continuing this strong tradition,” concluded La Barbera.

According to the BCTC, the construction industry in New York City has lost more than 20,000 jobs since 2008 and is suffering its highest unemployment in 13 years.

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York consists of local affiliates of 15 national and international unions representing 100,000 working men and women in the five boroughs of New York City.

Translated, this says we mostly need to keep paying off overtime, disability and pensions. It’s not that some of the work doesn’t need to be done, the question as always is where these funds go.

While I won’t dispute their numbers, it seems that the hardest hit will be the truckers, who are pretty much the people responsible for the majority of goods being moved for economic stimulus. Figure it like this: By 2014, the average GWB crossing will be $14 for easy pass people in cars. Trucks take a much more significant hit - right now, a commercial vehicle pays per axle, so your average 18 wheeler has 5 axles. So by 2014, that’s an $80 toll for a truck to cross the bridge. This also creates a dangerous situation on bridges, as we can assume more trucks with full loads are going to be raising their drop axle under full weight which compromises stability.

This massive increase just might be the final stake to drive me and other motorists to the mass transit system, and a lovely 6 hours a day commuting.