I live in Staten Island and my wife is currently applying for a job at Clarke Place. All online Driving Direction give me the path toward taking the BQE then LI. On a weekday BQE especially heading toward the city is always jam and that is why I think it's better for her to take the Belt PKWY to get there. Now my question is how bad is the traffic on the Belt and Southern Pkwy on morning commute from 7:30-9:00 AM and 5-7PM?

 

I just took the belt pkwy yesterday to SI and it took me 20 min to get from the Van wyck to SI. Going east didn't look bad and this was around 9am. I would def stay AWAY from the BQE and LIE.

 

about 6 years ago, and i dont know if traffic patterns changed, but I used to drive to Hofstra in hempstead from brooklyn 4 days a week. For the most part you are driving against traffic, since most drive towards the city in morning and LI at night. Going to LI in the morning, it used to take me 30min with no traffic at all to get to exit 22 on southern state. More realistically, i used to hit a bit of traffic near JFK on belt and where Belt connects to sourthern state and then on southern state around exit 17. On average it used to take me 45min-50min to get to school, but sometimes b/c of accident, it could take 1 1/2 hours, i think that was the most i spent in traffic.
Going home, i used to hit traffic around exit 22 to 18 on southern state, again where southern meets belt, and then on the belt around JFK again. On average it would take me 10-15 min longer to get home, with traffic. I used to live near coney island exit in brooklyn, so I cant vouch for the Verizzano traffic, although my friend used to drive from SI to Hofstra 5 days a week for 3 years also. Hope that helps.

 

around 7:30 - 9:00am is alright traffic..its not jam but u can go around 50-60?

 

Traffic on the Southern State sucks. Everyday I have to go to exit 21 on the SS. Usually up to exit 20 it can be a pain. After that it's a bit more bearable. Getting onto the Meadowbrook at exit 22 is also a pain.

Coming home during night rush hour sucks too.

Anyone claiming to be able to go 50 or 60 during the rush hours has to be going on the shoulder no other way.

 

i agree with u man.. i take the belt pkwy east around 8am from exit 17 and it takes me about 45 mins jus to get to the cross island pkwy which is where the southern state begins.. after u get passed the cross island southern state split u should b good to go.. and on the way back belt pkwy west its even worst, traffic begins by the van wyck xpwy all the way to the bridge... yes stay away from the bqe but the belt is no cake walk..

 

I live in Staten Island as well and i commute everyday to St. Johns University in Jamaica, Queens... Taffic on the belt East bound is not heavy at all from 6am-8am, but o MAN the Van Wyck is the same story everyday...i def would not recomment the BQE route...that would take an eternity to get to LI...Going home at 5 is not too bad either West bound on the belt...sorry couldnt help you out too much with the SSP

 

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