Wut up G-Squad peeps. I live in the D.C area and will be traveling to Stony Brook, Long Island and wanted to get some input as to the best way to cross over into LI.

Last time I came, i used the Verazano (sp?) Bridge, and it was an absolute nightmare. It was around 2-3pm at the time. So this time i was thinkin NJ turnpike all the way up to GW bridge.

I plan on being in that general area around 7pm on a Friday. Let me know... hope it's ok i posted this question here.

 

First off, its perfectly fine you posted a question here lol.

Secondly Friday is a pretty bad traffic day as a whole especially considering the time you want to arrive for. If you have to be there for 7pm..figure a 5.5 hour drive?? Your hitting rush hour traffic which is bad all over the place If possible leave a lot earlier.

Possible suggestion to avoid the Verrazano...

Lincoln Tunnel to the Midtown Tunnel to the LIE. However again on Friday depending on time could be a rough situation.


Not sure if this helps...hopefully someone else could offer more detailed advice.

Good luck.


-Vin

 

Like Vin said just about anywhere on a Friday night is gonna be hectic.

The simplest and easiest way is still going be the Verrazano. It should not be as bad being that rush hour would be dying out around 7PM.

Midtown Tunnnel and Lincoln tunnel might be worse being that its Manhattan and its a friday night. People might be coming in and out for games and shows or just being a f'in tourist. Also, I believe thattakes you through downtown Manhattan which is horrible for traffic, especially if you dont know how to get around.

If you dont mind the toll I would just stick with the Verrazano. Its the straightfoward place to Long Island IMO

 

Hmm, thnx for the replys so far guys. I can be there later than 7. On a good day it would take me 4 hours to get from where I am to the Linc Tunnel. I just did this the other weekend for the NYIAS. But now I'm getting two diff routes to take from map services online and my NAV...

The NAV tells me to take Verrazano, Google and Yahoo maps telling me GW bridge. I kno there is this number I can call (HAT) to find the status of the GW bridge and which level is running faster. I guess i could also listen to traffic reports on the radio to see how the Verrazano was running.

I'll try to get to one of the bridges by 8pm maybe, let the traffic die down. Won't everyone be leavin NYC by car goin out to NJ and Long Island, back home from work? So i'd be goin against traffic gettin into the NYC area, and i'd hafta deal with it for gettin across to LI.
So far looks like either Verrazano or GW bridge, from NJ tpike to get over to Stony Brook.

 

Man either way you cut it its always a pain in the azz coming in and getting out of NYC...

there is no way around it...travel at 3AM
otherwise...you'll be caught in some kind of crap traffic

 

Hahah yea, thnx tho guys. I'm gonna try to look at traffic land cameras tonight, since it will be NEXT friday that i make the trip.

It's a toss up between Verrazano and GW bridge (cuz GW takes me much north of congested midtown). I'll listen to the radio for traffic reports when i make the trip as well.

 

I'd go for a tunnel into manhattan, go through central park across to the 59th street bridge, get onto the Long Island Expressway, take that all the way to Nichols Road and take Nichols all the way up into Stony Brook. If you're going to Stony Brook Univ, then Nichols takes you directly between the two sides of the campus.

But those directions are likely to kill you on time anyway. Just take the route through staten island and just use the Cross Island Parkway to get up to the Long Island Expressway ASAP. And drive either much earlier or much later.

If you want to beat traffic, be ON long island by 2pm.