Understanding Metro NY Traffic Acronyms and Abbreviations - Volume 1

Earlier this week, I’m driving up the NJTP, when I come across one of those electronic billboards that relay messages and traffic info which is occasionally correct. It mentioned road closures using the acronym “HRD”. 

I consider myself a pretty well-seasoned NY driver, but it took me a few minutes to realize that the sign was referring to the Harlem River Drive. Well actually it was the TME that was shutting HRD, from the GWB.  Sounds like a mouthful, right?

The point is, sometimes even us locals have a hard time deciphering the dictionary of abbreviations that they use when describing roads. I have collected a glossary of some of the most common ones in case you get stuck in the NY/NJ area.

• Belt -  the Belt Parkway in the boroughs, turns into the SSP in Long Island
• BK Bridge -  Brooklyn Bridge
• BQE -  Brooklyn Queens Expressway
• Bruckner / 278 -  The Bruckner Expressway
• CBE – Cross Bronx Expressway, also known as 95
• CCP -  Cross County Parkway
• CIP -  Cross Island Parkway
• CVE- Clearview Expressway, AKA I-295, also the best CIP alternative
• FDR -  FDR drive spans the east side of Manhattam
• GCP -  Grand Central Parkway
• GSP – Garden State Parkway
• GWB (UL and LL) – George Washington Bridge (Upper level and Lower level)
• HHP / Hen Hud Park – Henry Hudson Parkway
• Holl -  Holland tunnel
• HRD -  Harlem River Drive
• Hutch – the Hutchinson River Parkway
• JFK -  JFK Airport
• JRP -  Jackie Robinson Parkway
• LGA -  Laguardia Airport
• LIE / 495 -  the Long Island Expressway
• MDE / Deegan / 87 – Major Deegan Expressway, also know as the Thruway or I-87
• MSP -  Meadowbrook State Parkway in Long Island
• MT Tunn -  Midtown Tunnel
• NJTP -  NJ Turnpike, also known as I-95
• NSP -  Northern State Parkway in Long Island -  turns into the GCP once you hit queens
• OBC / 440 – OuterBridge Crossing
• OP - Ocean Parkway
• Pal -  Palisades Parkway
• QB bridge- Queensborogh Bridge
• RFK -  RFK or Triborough Bridge (It’s the same thing)
• RMP – Robert Moses Parkway. You only need this if you are going to the beach
• SAG -  Sagtikos Parkway
• SMP / Saw Mill -  The Saw Mill River Parkway
• Sprain / SBP -  the SprainBrook Parkway
• SSP – Southern State Parkway, turns into the Belt in Queens
• TNB -  Throgs Neck Bridge
• TZB /Tapp -  The Tappan-Zee Bridge
• VNB – Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
• WSB -  Whitestone Bridge
• WSH – West Side Highway spans the east side of Manhattan
• WSP- Wantagh State Parkway

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)

Why I won't ride to work every day

Last night, The NJ Turnpike inbound GWB lower level came to a grinding halt, and cops were rushing to get by on the shoulder. This is never a good sign, and usually signifies an accident. After 20 minutes and about 400 yards, I came upon the scene which was a multi vehicle accident. One person was down on the ground surrounded by a crowd, and there was a motorcycle about 200 feet up the road. I didn't stick around to see what the result was, but hope the guy was OK. He was riding an old Yamaha small cruiser style bike, so I kinda doubt that extreme speed was a factor in the crash.

One of the fortunate things about my job was that I was able to get my motorcycle license. I had a great time riding out in the California desert, on winding roads, and on the back trails. It was truly a liberating experience, and cemented my love for motorcycles. But even when gas is eight bucks a gallon, I still refuse to ride one in metro NY. It's suicide.

There's a lot of guys out there with the crotch rockets popping wheelies on the parkway, and you know they have a short life expectancy at their current pace. When I sit to think about, probably 95% of the people I know who ride down here have had some sort of major accident that has significantly altered their life and / or physical abilities.

So whats the problem? Sometimes, speed and poor riding is to blame. Even though lane sharing or "splitting" is illegal in NY, riders still do it, and at speeds that are way to excessive to be safe. But I don't think NY / NJ drivers are aware enough about motorcycles. When executing a lane change at 60 MPH, we check our mirrors and take a quick glance to make sure there isn't a car next to us, but typically we aren't looking for a bike in our blind spot. I noticed another issue with NY drivers while riding, and that is that drivers assume a following distance behind a bike which is totally unsafe. Most likely due to perception with a bikes diminutive size, it's not uncommon to see a car less than 10 feet behind a bike, even at highway speeds.

Going through the MSF course to get a DM license in NY was a three day process, but a great one. We learned tht riding was more about defensive driving, and trying to stay out of the way of drivers who don't know how to share the road with bikes.

Take the time to slow down, and take a better look around before changing lanes or making turns. Give a bike a good following distance, and if you see a group riding, don't get in the middle of them. There's a few more months left in the riding season, and there are sure to be many more accidents, but just being aware can help save lives.

How to Beat Red Light Cameras

Here's the secret the government doesn't want you to know.

I discovered a mathematical pattern in the red light traffic cameras in NY, and have developed a fool-proof system to never get busted by one. You see, the programmers rely on an antiquated color coded algorithm to determine signal phases and changes.   Here are the steps to beating the system. with a little practice, this is a guarantee to never get a ticket from a red light camera.

1. On approach, note the color of the light. if it is green, we can call that stale green, and you should be prepared for a change to yellow.

2. The secret is in the yellow lights- You see, they try to trick you, because every light is timed differently. This is where you will need to balance math with driving skill to time it just perfectly. Based on your cars current velocity, divide this by the distance from the intersection that you are approaching to figure out an approximate stopping distance or if acceleration must be applied.

of course I am being sarcastic. Red light cameras are revenue generators because they bust people who blow red lights. Don't do the crime if you cant handle the fine. Now stop bitching about government conspiracies, and stop at a red light like everyone else.

Electronic signs and the impatient commuter

Isn’t technology wonderful? It seems just a few years ago, we actually had to guess how long it would take us to go from point A to point B, and now we have these nifty electronic signs to tell us the approximate time to our destination – and sometimes they even work.

This entry is inspired by a road sign that I have been eagerly anticipating - the “average travel time to the Throgs Neck Bridge” (TNB) sign on the Grand Central parkway. This sign finally came on line at the beginning of this week, and to tell you the truth, I have mixed emotions.

On one hand, I am happy to have this reference just in case the Clearview (295) is totally backed up /flooded/on fire/closed/f. Everyone knows the Cross Island Parkway typically sucks, especially since the TNB caught on fire and the lanes were reduced, causing a daily clusterfuck of traffic for about 2 miles before the on ramp.

But then, I am angry that this sign is sharing my secret. The Clearview is an excellent road, and it’s typically the fastest way to the bridge because no one really wants to take it. Also, the CIP is about a mile beforehand, and drivers will typically encounter a wall of traffic between the two. But after seeing the sign, I think more drivers will move over to the Clearview because it’s shorter. I don’t want more cars on this road, and I hope they stay on the CIP. Here’s a sign I really would like to see.

I also found out an interesting thing today – this sign is accurate, and it is calculating distance from the sign, not from the start of the Clearview. So this sign actually takes into account the traffic beforehand. In order to do this though, it is important to note how these signs work- They respond to EZ pass tags or drivers, and then take an average. I am also pretty sure they have a minimum setting to confirm to speed limits. These “average travel time to…” signs are much more accurate than the old style of “traffic moving well to…” signs, that I have found myself sitting under at a complete stop more than one times.

But, like the red headed step child of New York it is, Jersey has to come out and screw it all up. They have one important sign. Just one – and that’s the one that says the average travel times for the different levels of the GWB. I have seen this sign working maybe twice in the past 8 months. And I know it works, so why isn’t it on? I mean, it was grossly inaccurate by at least 20 minutes in rush hour, but at least it was a good indicator of where you could waster more of your life sitting on that bridge.

Lots o’cars Broken Down since last post:  2001 Dodge Caravan, 2001 Nissan Altima, ~1997 Nissan Sentra, ~1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 ford Focus, 1994 Accord, mid 90’s Buick LeSabre