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Any Way to Avoid Congestion From Western NY thru Albany to VT

Started by flyfishingjon, July 14, 2016, 05:07:04 PM

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flyfishingjon

I've traveled from Western NY, thru the Albany congestion enroute to Bennington, VT in the past.  I recall that the traffic was heavy, even on weekends, and the exits confusing.  Is there a reasonable alternate route coming from Oneonta, NY besides I-88 to I-90 to Rt. 9 to Rt. 7 into Bennington?


cl94

Quote from: flyfishingjon on July 14, 2016, 05:07:04 PM
I've traveled from Western NY, thru the Albany congestion enroute to Bennington, VT in the past.  I recall that the traffic was heavy, even on weekends, and the exits confusing.  Is there a reasonable alternate route coming from Oneonta, NY besides I-88 to I-90 to Rt. 9 to Rt. 7 into Bennington?

Reasonable? No way. Alternate? Yes. Really depends on how far off of busy roads you're willing to get. I live in Troy and can give a couple alternatives.

1. Use NY 2 through Troy. This avoids the mess on NY 7. Get off I-87 at Exit 6, take NY 2 east through Latham Circle, Watervliet, and Troy. Turn left on NY 278 and immediately turn right on Rensselaer CR 129 (Tamarac Rd). Take this to NY 7, turn right, and continue as before. This bypasses the worst of the congestion and it is how I head east in the afternoons to avoid the mess if I have to. There can be congestion along NY 2 in Troy, but it is always better than NY 7. Google maps link.

2. Use I-90 through Albany and NY 43/NY 151 to bypass Troy. Take I-90 to Exit 8 (NY 43). Take NY 43 to NY 151 and turn left (north). Take NY 151 to the end, turn left on NY 2, right on NY 278, and make an immediate right on Tamarac Rd, as above. This bypasses I-87 and Troy, but is entirely dependent on how backed up I-90 is at the bridge (often fine, bad if there's an accident). More than 90 percent of the time, this is likely the fastest way during the afternoon. Google Maps link.

Other than those two, which are less than ~10-15 minutes longer in no traffic, there aren't really any other good alternatives. Everything else brings you through a major congestion point or takes so much longer that you'd be better off sitting in traffic. NY 7 is the choke point and, while traffic is heavy along the entire thing, it is impossible to avoid entirely without taking an extra half hour or more.
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kalvado

Quote from: cl94 on July 14, 2016, 05:34:12 PM
Quote from: flyfishingjon on July 14, 2016, 05:07:04 PM
I've traveled from Western NY, thru the Albany congestion enroute to Bennington, VT in the past.  I recall that the traffic was heavy, even on weekends, and the exits confusing.  Is there a reasonable alternate route coming from Oneonta, NY besides I-88 to I-90 to Rt. 9 to Rt. 7 into Bennington?

Reasonable? No way. Alternate? Yes. Really depends on how far off of busy roads you're willing to get. I live in Troy and can give a couple alternatives.

1. Use NY 2 through Troy. This avoids the mess on NY 7. Get off I-87 at Exit 6, take NY 2 east through Latham Circle, Watervliet, and Troy. Turn left on NY 278 and immediately turn right on Rensselaer CR 129 (Tamarac Rd). Take this to NY 7, turn right, and continue as before. This bypasses the worst of the congestion and it is how I head east in the afternoons to avoid the mess if I have to. There can be congestion along NY 2 in Troy, but it is always better than NY 7. Google maps link.

2. Use I-90 through Albany and NY 43/NY 151 to bypass Troy. Take I-90 to Exit 8 (NY 43). Take NY 43 to NY 151 and turn left (north). Take NY 151 to the end, turn left on NY 2, right on NY 278, and make an immediate right on Tamarac Rd, as above. This bypasses I-87 and Troy, but is entirely dependent on how backed up I-90 is at the bridge (often fine, bad if there's an accident). More than 90 percent of the time, this is likely the fastest way during the afternoon. Google Maps link.

Other than those two, which are less than ~10-15 minutes longer in no traffic, there aren't really any other good alternatives. Everything else brings you through a major congestion point or takes so much longer that you'd be better off sitting in traffic. NY 7 is the choke point and, while traffic is heavy along the entire thing, it is impossible to avoid entirely without taking an extra half hour or more.

In both cases I would take 278 to get back to 7. At that point it is well past Troy, and I would say 7 is a better road...

cl94

Quote from: kalvado on July 14, 2016, 06:06:58 PM
Quote from: cl94 on July 14, 2016, 05:34:12 PM
Quote from: flyfishingjon on July 14, 2016, 05:07:04 PM
I've traveled from Western NY, thru the Albany congestion enroute to Bennington, VT in the past.  I recall that the traffic was heavy, even on weekends, and the exits confusing.  Is there a reasonable alternate route coming from Oneonta, NY besides I-88 to I-90 to Rt. 9 to Rt. 7 into Bennington?

Reasonable? No way. Alternate? Yes. Really depends on how far off of busy roads you're willing to get. I live in Troy and can give a couple alternatives.

1. Use NY 2 through Troy. This avoids the mess on NY 7. Get off I-87 at Exit 6, take NY 2 east through Latham Circle, Watervliet, and Troy. Turn left on NY 278 and immediately turn right on Rensselaer CR 129 (Tamarac Rd). Take this to NY 7, turn right, and continue as before. This bypasses the worst of the congestion and it is how I head east in the afternoons to avoid the mess if I have to. There can be congestion along NY 2 in Troy, but it is always better than NY 7. Google maps link.

2. Use I-90 through Albany and NY 43/NY 151 to bypass Troy. Take I-90 to Exit 8 (NY 43). Take NY 43 to NY 151 and turn left (north). Take NY 151 to the end, turn left on NY 2, right on NY 278, and make an immediate right on Tamarac Rd, as above. This bypasses I-87 and Troy, but is entirely dependent on how backed up I-90 is at the bridge (often fine, bad if there's an accident). More than 90 percent of the time, this is likely the fastest way during the afternoon. Google Maps link.

Other than those two, which are less than ~10-15 minutes longer in no traffic, there aren't really any other good alternatives. Everything else brings you through a major congestion point or takes so much longer that you'd be better off sitting in traffic. NY 7 is the choke point and, while traffic is heavy along the entire thing, it is impossible to avoid entirely without taking an extra half hour or more.

In both cases I would take 278 to get back to 7. At that point it is well past Troy, and I would say 7 is a better road...

That would easily add 15 minutes. 278 is almost due east-west and half of CR 129 was recently resurfaced. There's also a bridge project on NY 7 right now that this bypasses.
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Sam

We often took NY 67 from Amsterdam to Bennington. It only adds about 15 minutes over the Thruway/Northway/Route 7. Try for a full moon when there's snow on the ground :)

vdeane

Why not get to NY 2 via I-787 exit 8?  NY 7 between I-87 and I-787 may not be free flow, but it's not terribly slow (at least, outside of rush hour, but if you're in rush hour, you've got Northway/Thruway problems to deal with anyways), certainly faster than going through Latham Circle and a zillion lights, some of which back up quite a bit (I've seen the light at Old Loudon Rd back up into the circle before).

Of course, the biggest tip is to avoid the Albany area like the plague during rush hour, which starts as early as 3pm due to the large number of government employees.  This is especially true in the morning when Thruway congestion is a huge factor - in the afternoon, most of it can by bypassed EB with the I-90 route.

Quote from: Sam on July 14, 2016, 07:08:53 PM
We often took NY 67 from Amsterdam to Bennington. It only adds about 15 minutes over the Thruway/Northway/Route 7. Try for a full moon when there's snow on the ground :)
He's coming from Oneonta.  He'd either have to divert onto NY 30 or backtrack 15 miles of Thruway to get to Amsterdam.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Sam

I missed the part about Oneonta, so, yes, NY 30 to NY 67. He'll have to decide for himself about time vs. aggravation I guess :)

cl94

Quote from: vdeane on July 14, 2016, 07:11:03 PM
Why not get to NY 2 via I-787 exit 8?  NY 7 between I-87 and I-787 may not be free flow, but it's not terribly slow (at least, outside of rush hour, but if you're in rush hour, you've got Northway/Thruway problems to deal with anyways), certainly faster than going through Latham Circle and a zillion lights, some of which back up quite a bit (I've seen the light at Old Loudon Rd back up into the circle before).

Of course, the biggest tip is to avoid the Albany area like the plague during rush hour, which starts as early as 3pm due to the large number of government employees.  This is especially true in the morning when Thruway congestion is a huge factor - in the afternoon, most of it can by bypassed EB with the I-90 route.

If they're doing that, get off at Exit 6 (US 9), immediately get off at Northern Boulevard, and follow NY 377 up to NY 378. From there, either hop on I-787 or cut through Troy on local roads. Living in Downtown Troy, that is how I get home during rush hour to avoid the Northway and the NY 7 mess. The I-787 stack is often backed up past US 9 from the EB-NB ramp and getting from Exit 8 to NY 2 is tough in rush hour because you have to turn left off of NY 32 without a protected left turn phase. I have waited at NY 2 for 10-15 minutes to make that left at times.

And I meant NY 351, not NY 151.

I purposely left out I-787 because that is a PITA for the reasons I listed above and, while still faster than taking NY 7 directly, can be bypassed to save an additional 10-15 minutes.

It really comes down to how much you hate sitting in traffic. If you want to get there in the fastest way even accounting for traffic, there's no alternative to going through Albany. I-90 is virtually a requirement, as is passing through Exit 24. Likewise, NY 7 east of about Rensselaer CR 87 can't be avoided without adding a bunch of time.
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froggie

One thing the OP didn't mention was day of the week or time of day he'd be traveling.  That makes a lot of difference.  In my own not-small experience, by the time you hit late evening (7pm-ish or later), taking 787 to 7 and sticking with 7 is usually fine, regardless of the day of the week.

Quote from: cl94
Quote from: kalvadoIn both cases I would take 278 to get back to 7. At that point it is well past Troy, and I would say 7 is a better road...

That would easily add 15 minutes. 278 is almost due east-west and half of CR 129 was recently resurfaced.

No it wouldn't.  Taking 278 to 7 only adds 2 miles and, because of the higher speed limit along 7 and better passing opportunity (such as that is), taking CR 129 over 278/7 is basically a wash.  That is, unless you like taking your chances with county cops.

cl94

Quote from: froggie on July 14, 2016, 10:38:47 PM
One thing the OP didn't mention was day of the week or time of day he'd be traveling.  That makes a lot of difference.  In my own not-small experience, by the time you hit late evening (7pm-ish or later), taking 787 to 7 and sticking with 7 is usually fine, regardless of the day of the week.

Quote from: cl94
Quote from: kalvadoIn both cases I would take 278 to get back to 7. At that point it is well past Troy, and I would say 7 is a better road...

That would easily add 15 minutes. 278 is almost due east-west and half of CR 129 was recently resurfaced.

No it wouldn't.  Taking 278 to 7 only adds 2 miles and, because of the higher speed limit along 7 and better passing opportunity (such as that is), taking CR 129 over 278/7 is basically a wash.  That is, unless you like taking your chances with county cops.

If you're able to travel at the speed limit, the time is roughly equal (I have timed it). Good luck at being able to go 55 on NY 7, though, and passing is almost impossible most of the day due to volumes.

I do agree that, after 7 PM, NY 7 is fine. I-87 to NY 7 is faster in clear conditions than using I-787, but watch for cops in the median crossovers. For what it's worth, I travel the NY 7 expressway almost every day and I have only once seen a cop running radar (nowhere for them to safely sit and get a good shot unless there's construction). From about noon to 7 PM, NY 7 EB should be avoided between the Downtown Troy exit and NY 142.
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Jim

Unless traffic is especially bad on the mainlines on a particular day, it seems to me that any alternative that tries to avoid the obvious major routes is likely to add more time than whatever time you might lose waiting in a little traffic.  I guess I just don't see Albany's traffic as being as bad as many here have observed.  I've been a Thruway commuter for years (exits 27 to 24) and even at peak rush hour, I rarely find that it takes me more than an extra 10 minutes compared to off-peak free flowing traffic.  Just don't get left too soon at 24 and you're good.  I find the 25 merge is often the biggest delay and that not usually more than a few minutes.

Disclaimer: my view of Capital District traffic in general is probably far better than those who commute the Twin Bridges.
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Rothman

The rumors of traffic congestion in the Capital District heavy enough to require detours onto local roads are greatly exaggerated.

(At least, headed east-west.  There's no way around the rush hour nonsense on I-87 north across the Twin Bridges.  Couldn't pay me enough to live in Clifton Park.).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

kalvado

Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2016, 09:38:33 AM
The rumors of traffic congestion in the Capital District heavy enough to require detours onto local roads are greatly exaggerated.

(At least, headed east-west.  There's no way around the rush hour nonsense on I-87 north across the Twin Bridges.  Couldn't pay me enough to live in Clifton Park.).
h
Rt 7 in Troy is another sour point. Street drops to 2 lanes where limited access one could face capacity problems..

froggie

Quote from: cl94If you're able to travel at the speed limit, the time is roughly equal (I have timed it). Good luck at being able to go 55 on NY 7, though, and passing is almost impossible most of the day due to volumes.

I've generally found that, outward from Center Brunswick, one can generally maintain at least 45 MPH on 7 even during busy times.

But Jim brings up a good point...I suspect that Jim, Rothman, and I have a higher tolerance for traffic than you younger folks.

Rothman

Quote from: kalvado on July 15, 2016, 09:50:56 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2016, 09:38:33 AM
The rumors of traffic congestion in the Capital District heavy enough to require detours onto local roads are greatly exaggerated.

(At least, headed east-west.  There's no way around the rush hour nonsense on I-87 north across the Twin Bridges.  Couldn't pay me enough to live in Clifton Park.).
h
Rt 7 in Troy is another sour point. Street drops to 2 lanes where limited access one could face capacity problems..

Heh.  Route 7/Hoosic Street is indeed a pain.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Jim

Quote from: froggie on July 15, 2016, 10:02:50 AM
But Jim brings up a good point...I suspect that Jim, Rothman, and I have a higher tolerance for traffic than you younger folks.

I guess I also compare it with big cities I've traveled to or through where what we call a bad traffic day in Albany would be considered cause for celebration.  I do agree that Albany has more than its share of minor to moderate trouble spots for a metro area of its size.  However, I wouldn't say you need to avoid the area during peak periods the way you'd want to avoid big city rush hours.
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jeffandnicole

Quote from: Jim on July 15, 2016, 08:53:53 AM
Unless traffic is especially bad on the mainlines on a particular day, it seems to me that any alternative that tries to avoid the obvious major routes is likely to add more time than whatever time you might lose waiting in a little traffic.  I guess I just don't see Albany's traffic as being as bad as many here have observed.  I've been a Thruway commuter for years (exits 27 to 24) and even at peak rush hour, I rarely find that it takes me more than an extra 10 minutes compared to off-peak free flowing traffic.  Just don't get left too soon at 24 and you're good.  I find the 25 merge is often the biggest delay and that not usually more than a few minutes.

Disclaimer: my view of Capital District traffic in general is probably far better than those who commute the Twin Bridges.

A very good point.

In my carpool, there was 1 guy that would avoid congestion on the highway by taking a whole bunch of side streets.  These side streets often had 25 mph speed limits and traffic lights (and some congestion of their own).  We would also be zig-zagging our way home, versus going straight on the highway, as the roads weren't exactly parallel to the highway.  The result was we were consistently getting home 10 - 15 minutes later when he drove compared to the other carpool drivers who would just stay on the highway, as congestion on the highway rarely averaged driving speeds below 25 mph for any significant time.   

He tried saying that at least we were moving.  From a psychological standpoint, I know what he was referring to.  In a 25 mph zone, we're traveling at or above the speed limit at times, but dealing with traffic lights, traffic circles, turning traffic and other movements that slow down traffic.  On the highway where the speed limit is 55 or greater, we're going 30 mph or so...about half the speed limit.  It just seemed like we were moving slow, even though in reality we're actually moving faster.

So I agree with a few of the others.  Even dealing with some minor congestion on the highway is probably going to produce a faster overall drive time vs. trying to find every other highway and local roadway that would take you miles longer.  If there's a fairly direct route that takes you to your destination, that's fine.  But don't add 20 minutes of drive time to avoid 5 minutes of congestion!

vdeane

Depends on time of year too, at least for the Northway.  My commute is fine in winter but congested in summer (granted, the area around the Twin Bridges is bad year round, but I get off before then).

That said, I generally don't divert to avoid traffic.  Usually it's a wash between the Northway and parallel local roads once you factor in traffic lights and dealing with the queue to get on the Northway.  The Northway usually at least moves even when it's bad, which is more than can be said for the lights at the interchange at Albany-Shaker Rd, which one MUST pass through if they're traveling in that general direction no matter what... there is no bypass.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

cl94

I actually have a decent tolerance for traffic, but half an hour from the bridge to Center Brunswick is ridiculous, as it can be avoided with under 5 minutes of extra drive time in clear conditions. Likewise, coming from Troy, I often bypass the Northway mess by cutting up to Exit 8A on Middletown Rd. In traffic, time is actually slightly less.
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jeffandnicole

For my main commute, I take 295.  I have the parallel Turnpike right next to it.  But unless there's severe congestion, as in 295 is closed congestion, the time for me in rush hour traffic to get from 295 to the Turnpike, get off the turnpike, sit in that congestion, and take roads back to 295 or work or home, it just doesn't work out in my favor.  Especially when I get to pay for the privilege of sitting in that additional traffic.

Sure, there's days where I don't have any issues with it, and it was the faster alternative.  But there's no real way in advance to know that, and even if I do find out how traffic is, what I know at 4:30 can change drastically by 5:00, and what was smooth sailing can bottleneck up real quick.

Jim

Regarding getting through Troy, as mentioned by others, the Congress St/Route 2 option over Hoosick St/Route 7 can be a big win and it's not much slower even if 7 is free and clear.  I'd recommend it.  Since I'd normally be coming in on "Alternate 7", I take at right at the foot of the Collar City Bridge and cut across to 2 there.  Hoosick/7 is can be one of the most frustrating stretches in the Albany area between the lights and potential for trucks unable to get any momentum up the hill out of Troy.
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cl94

Quote from: Jim on July 15, 2016, 02:49:42 PM
Regarding getting through Troy, as mentioned by others, the Congress St/Route 2 option over Hoosick St/Route 7 can be a big win and it's not much slower even if 7 is free and clear.  I'd recommend it.  Since I'd normally be coming in on "Alternate 7", I take at right at the foot of the Collar City Bridge and cut across to 2 there.  Hoosick/7 is can be one of the most frustrating stretches in the Albany area between the lights and potential for trucks unable to get any momentum up the hill out of Troy.

This. Ever since they synced the lights on Congress/Ferry for a green wave, the left from 6th onto Ferry/NY 2 EB is pretty easy. A decent amount of it between the east city line and 278 is 55 as well. Even at 1 PM today, it took me 20 minutes to get from 15th to Burger King along 7. It only gets worse as the day progresses. The trucks, lack of a left turn lane on the hill, and lane drop at the east city line create what is possibly the worst daily traffic jam in the Albany area, definitely worse than the Twin Bridges (at least that is typically moving, even if at 10 mph). From 278, cut up to 7 as you please.
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flyfishingjon

Folks, thank you very much for ALL of the options!  I won't be in a hurry, I just want to make sure that I don't miss any exits, ramps, turns, etc.  due to heavy traffic.  I will study the suggestions and try my best to slide through there at non-peak peak times.  Thanks again!

Jim

If you're not in a hurry, stick with Route 2 all the way to Williamstown then take US 7 up to Bennington.  Petersburg Pass is a great drive!
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cl94

Quote from: Jim on July 15, 2016, 08:06:21 PM
If you're not in a hurry, stick with Route 2 all the way to Williamstown then take US 7 up to Bennington.  Petersburg Pass is a great drive!

I agree. Adds half an hour (at least), but the scenery is amazing.
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