By Car in New York City

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By Car

If you plan to drive into Manhattan, try to avoid the morning and evening rush hours (a problem at the crossings into Manhattan) and lunch hour. The deterioration of the bridges to Manhattan, especially those spanning the East River, mean repairs will be ongoing for the next few years. Listen to traffic reports on the radio before you set off, and don't be surprised if a bridge is partially or entirely closed.

Driving within Manhattan can be a nightmare of gridlocked streets, obnoxious drivers and bicyclists, and seemingly suicidal jaywalkers. Narrow and one-way streets are common, particularly downtown, and can make driving even more difficult. The most congested streets of the city lie between 14th and 59th streets and 3rd and 8th avenues.

Gasoline

Fill up your tank when you have a chance -- gas stations are few and far between in Manhattan. If you can, fill up at stations outside the city, where prices are anywhere from 10¢ to 50¢ cheaper per gallon. The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $2.50, at this writing. In Manhattan, you can refuel at stations along the West Side Highway and 11th Avenue south of West 57th Street and along East Houston Street. Some gas stations in New York require you to pump your own gas; others provide attendants. In New Jersey, the law requires that an attendant pump your gas.

Parking

Free parking is difficult to find in Midtown, and violators may be towed away literally within minutes. All over town, parking lots charge exorbitant rates -- as much as $23 for two hours (this includes an impressive sales tax of 18.625%). If you do drive, use your car sparingly in Manhattan. Instead, park it in a guarded parking garage for at least several hours; hourly rates decrease somewhat if a car is left for a significant amount of time. If you find a spot on the street, be sure to check parking signs carefully. Rules differ from block to block, and they're nearly all confusing.

Road Conditions

New York City streets are in generally good condition, although there are enough potholes and bad patch jobs to make driving a little rough in some areas, as on Canal Street. Road and bridge repair seems to go on constantly, so you may encounter the occasional detour or a bottleneck where a three-lane street narrows to one lane. Heavy rains can cause street flooding in some areas, most notoriously on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive (known as the FDR and sometimes as East River Drive), where the heavy traffic can grind to a halt when lakes suddenly appear on the road. Traffic can be very heavy anywhere in the city at any time, made worse by the bad habits -- double-parking, sudden lane changes, etc. -- of some drivers. Many drivers don't slow down for yellow lights here -- they speed up to make it through the intersection.

Rules of the Road

On city streets the speed limit is 30 mi per hour, unless otherwise posted. No right turns on red are allowed within city limits, unless otherwise posted. Be alert for one-way streets and "no left turn" intersections.

The law requires that front-seat passengers wear seat belts at all times. Children under 16 must wear seat belts in both the front and back seats. Always strap children under age four into approved child-safety seats. It is illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving in New York State. Police will immediately seize the car of anyone arrested for DWI (driving while intoxicated) in New York City.