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Driving Route Going North from NYC on a Monday

Driving Route Going North from NYC on a Monday

Old Jun 7th, 2012, 04:31 AM
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Driving Route Going North from NYC on a Monday

We will be leaving Cliffside Park, NJ on a Monday am and going to Portland, ME. Any suggestions on the best route to take? What time in the am should we leave to try and avoid rush hour around NYC? Thanks
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 06:21 AM
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Rush hour around NYC is INTO the city. You will be going. Orth against the flow of traffic so you should not encounter any delays regardless of the time you leave Cliffside Park. Use Mapquest or Google Maps to plan your route and you should e just fine.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 07:18 AM
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You won't be going against the flow of traffic, since from Cliffside Park you'll need to cross NYC regardless. I'm not good with NJ specifics, but if you plan to leave after 9am traffic will be lighter - and the later after that, the better. (For example, tomorrow I'll be driving from Brooklyn to CT and am planning to leave at about 9:30am.)

Of course, avoid as much of Manhattan as possible - meaning take the GWB (George Washington Bridge). IMO, the upper level is a better driving experience than the lower, but be prepared for significant truck traffic in either case. It's a toll bridge; I think it's $12 if you don't have an EZ Pass.

Once you're over the bridge, I prefer to take the truck-free but curvier (lower speed limit) parkways rather than the interstate highways as far as I can, which would be through southern CT.

If you put Cliffside Park, NJ to Portland, ME into google maps directions, it will provide two options. The default is the interstate and the "CT-15 N" is via the parkways. (Ignore all the minor twists and turns: it's GWB to I-87 N to the Cross County Parkway in Yonkers to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which will split at the end and you merge right onto the Merritt Parkway/CT-15. Near New Haven, you take I-91 north to Hartford and follow the exits for I-84 E. IME the I-84 exit comes up fast, before you actually reach Hartford, so heads up! After that, google is straightforward...)
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 09:08 AM
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There's no need to go into the city at all - you can head up the Palisades and go across the Tappan Zee. Still a huge amount of traffic - but you will be there later so not so bad.

I would leave either by 6 am or after 9 am to avoid the worst traffic.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 09:37 AM
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Thanks for your suggestions. Is going across the Tappan Zee bridge a better option that the GW Bridge? Its a touch out of the way per google maps, but if there would be less traffic congestion I'd prefer it. Glad to hear we could leave about 9 and avoid the worst rush hour.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 10:23 AM
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Sure, from the Jersey side of the river, the Palisades to the Tappan Zee probably isn't a bad idea, especially if you aren't driving during rush hour. (During rush hour, you'd be in southbound traffic with commuters coming over that bridge - just like commuters going over the GWB...) Probably about 20 min longer, but no trucks on the Palisades!

The Tappan Zee only has a toll southbound. When paying cash, it's $5 and the toll booths are at the far end of the span as you traverse from Nyack to Tarrytown. The GWB is $12 cash and toll booths are before you cross the span from NJ to NY.

Once you cross the Tappan Zee, take the exit for I-287 East and follow the signs for the Hutchinson Parkway towards the Merritt. (I-287 will end at I-95, but as I said before, IMO the parkways are a nicer drive than the interstate through here; you can see on the map that they are parallel...)
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 12:07 PM
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If I may suggest a slight change. After crossing the TZ bridge, continue on 287. At exit 9A take 684 North to 84 East. Cross CT on 84 and join the Mass Pike (90) East. Take 395 North to I-95 North (or continue along 90 to I 95). Follow across New Hampshire and into Maine. Follow signs to Portland. I believe this is about the shortest route.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 12:25 PM
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Hi Fra,
I didn't suggest that route because IME the stretch of I-84 between the NY state line and Hartford is a beast, always slow and snarled with traffic. But yestravel, if you prefer interstates to the parkways I mentioned, and if you're taking the Tappan Zee instead of the GWB, then absolutely you can take I-684 to I-84 instead of I-95 to I-91 to I-84.

FWIW, west of New Haven or Hartford (respectively), I-95 is a wider highway than I-84, which is almost always only 2 lanes in each direction on this stretch. I-84 might have more trucks on this stretch (heavier car traffic on I-95)...

As for MA to ME, personally I would take I-90/Mass Pike to I-495 north to I-95 north, skirting the Boston suburbs and ensuing commuter traffic.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 01:19 PM
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ggreen is correct -- I meant 495, not 395.

As far as traffic and delays, I think it's a toss up. Even the Merritt, CT 15, which is a much more pleasant drive, can be very slow if there is an accident or rain.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 04:45 PM
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If there;s an accident or rain (or construction - do check the online sites to see if roads are under construction) all bets are off -- no matter the road.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 05:23 PM
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Thanks! This is helpful. Per the AAA there is construction on and off the entire route on either route.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 05:41 PM
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Oh that's so true: if the weather is more than just drizzle, stick with the expressways not the parkways!

Barring any unforeseen traffic changeups -- fingers crossed -- I'll be taking the Hutch to the Merritt as far east as New Haven tomorrow, so I can report back about any construction. I know there was some the last time I was on that route, but that may have been as far back as last summer; memory hazy...

// Fra, I was wondering if you had some route I didn't know of around Worcester! Or we could send the OP the long way via Foxwoods, maybe win a little coinage for the trip.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 05:43 PM
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@ggreen - that would be great. Thanks! Good luck on your journey.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 06:47 PM
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Absolutely positively do NOT take the GWB!!! Take the Tappan Zee bridge for sure, and as nytraveler said, try to do it before or after the morning rush hour.

I agree with taking I-287 to the Hutch, which becomes the Merritt, which becomes the Wilbur Cross. The Merritt eastbound is awful during the afternoon rush hour, i.e. after 3:30 PM or so, but it will be fine in the morning or at midday. Do not take I-95, regardless of the weather, unless you know that there's a bad accident on the Merritt, and there isn't one on I-95. I-95 is almost never the right idea.

Take the Wilbur Cross to I-91, then I-91 north to Hartford. Then get on I-84 north. If you get to Hartford during the afternoon rush hour there will be some traffic after you get to Hartford, but it shouldn't be too bad, and you can avoid a lot of it bypassing the Charter Oak bridge by taking 3 north to 3 west.

I personally prefer not to take the I-684 to I-84 route, but I have only tried it a few times, and I don't think it would be a terrible idea.

I agree with ggreen that, at most times of day, it would be better to skirt around the close Boston suburbs on I-495.
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Old Jun 7th, 2012, 08:08 PM
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For what it's worth, I have also made it across the Bruckner (278) and all CT 95E at 70 mph on a weekday morning. Not all reputations are earned.
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Old Jun 8th, 2012, 05:43 AM
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I did the same route 2 weeks ago on a Thursday -- Tappan Zee to the Merritt, I-90, Mass Pike, I-495, etc. No problems, definitely the best route. We've tried them all (have driven to Maine from NJ about 50 times) and that is our favorite. Except for the times when all Connecticut routes become a parking lot because of accidents or the weekend rush to go north, it works well. It's good you're going on a Monday. It'll probably take you about 6 hours.
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Old Jun 8th, 2012, 08:17 AM
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Okay, Tappan Zee it will be (always loved that name!) Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Hopefully construction along the way will not cause too many delays.
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Old Jun 10th, 2012, 10:48 AM
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Hi yestravel, I did it and I'm back to tell the tale! (Isn't it funny how differently an experience unfolds when you're thinking ahead of time about reporting back on it??)

On Friday, I left Brooklyn at 11am and reached the Hutchinson Parkway by noon. So I was a little later than I'd expected, and on the Merritt likely later than you will be.

The road surface itself from Westchester County, NY, to New Haven, CT, was fine. A little old/bumpy in some parts but perfectly driveable. For about the middle section of the CT Route 15 stretch, there were lots of signs for construction and even some cones, but the latter were all pushed off to the side and all appearances looked like the construction was in the median and completed. At any rate, there weren't any lane closures. At least one of the on-roadway service areas was closed for renovation, but again the construction signage and cones for it didn't result in any modification of the road itself.

Many locals drive really fast on Route 15. When traffic was light, I was comfortable going about 70mph, but there are faster drivers - and given that you're unfamiliar with the road's curves and hills, you might end up going a little slower.

Twice I got stuck in heavy, slow traffic for about 15 minutes at at a time. I'd forgotten that this happens periodically on Route 15; it's due to volume (and I was heading into more and more Friday afternoon travelers as the day progressed).

From my friend's house, we traveled up to Massachusetts just east of the I-495 loop. I-84 between Route 8/Waterbury* (where we got on the interstate) and the western edge of Hartford moved well on a new road surface. We hit rush hour in Hartford, but IME if you have to go through rush hour in the northeast, Hartford is the least terrible. (Small city!) Once you get closer to the MA border, the commuter traffic from Hartford eases and it's smooth sailing again.

Traffic was fine on I-90 East and the short stretch of 495 we were on. FYI, there aren't many on-highway service areas on the I-90 toll road. One is just a few miles east of where you get on from I-84. (Then there's not another one until close to Boston, well past I-495.)

* Once you get on the Merritt, if you find that traffic is heavy, detouring via Route 8 is a good alternative. This state highway runs between Bridgeport and Waterbury and there's seldom a lot of traffic on it other than at rush hour. You'd pick up I-84 East in Waterbury and continue northeast from there. I personally have never enjoyed driving through Waterbury, as the highway curves up a hill, traffic is often heavy here, and there are a number of "exit only" exits and narrowing of number of lanes. But midday on a Monday should be as good as it gets!

// My return yesterday morning was via I-95. There were construction-related lane closures in at least two places. I don't know if this was southbound only; if it's ongoing construction; and if it only occurs on weekend mornings. So many trucks on the road at that time! Merging was orderly and the slowdown didn't add a significant amount of time to the trip.

// Being on the two different roadways reminded me of some general observations of driving in the northeast!

- Around NYC, there are many roads that lead to Rome. If traffic is bad on one, you can try your luck on another - but you'll run the risk of getting stuck on the next route, too!
- For the most part, choose the route with the type of roadway that you prefer to drive on. Because chances are you could hit delays of one kind or another on any one of them!
- Drivers in the northeast have some bad habits. One is to get into the left lane and use it as the travel lane (forcing others to pass on the right). The other is to zig and zag around all the traffic, seldom employing a turn signal.
- In most New England states, "the shoulder" is called "the breakdown lane". In some areas like metro Boston, drivers are allowed to use that lane as a travel lane during rush hour.
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Old Jun 10th, 2012, 11:12 AM
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Wow! thanks, ggreen. Nothing like a real life experience. We're doing a 5-6 week driving trip and this portion of it is the only part I dread. Hopefully with all this info we can minimize sitting in traffic. Appreciate all your very helpful info.
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Old Jun 10th, 2012, 12:22 PM
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You're very welcome - a month and a half driving trip sounds awesome! I'm sure you'll be fine driving in the northeast. When do you start (and when will you be doing this portion of it)?
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