NYC Roads

[Roadrunner75]

Hate to derail the conversation, but what's the best way to enter NYC on a weekday?

PATH is always good, then connecting to the subway. Also, don't forget about parking the car in Staten Island and taking the Staten Island Ferry in, then connecting to the subway. It's a very relaxing alternative and the ferry itself is free. I've gone this route for Manhattan destinations many times.

When we go into the city, we usually park at the 70 Columbus parking garage in downtown Jersey City (self park and open 24 hours unlike some others nearby) on Columbus Drive (2nd exit after the toll on 78).  It's only a few steps from the garage exit door to the Grove Street PATH entrance at the corner of Columbus and Marin.  There you can either take the WTC or 33rd branch.

A lot of people like using NJ Transit from Metropark or Secaucus Junction, but I prefer PATH since it's 24 hours so I can always get back to my car easier, even if it's slightly longer and more of hassle to get to downtown JC.  I hated my college days where we had to be careful to get the last NJT train out of NYC for the night, which has carried forth to my preference for PATH now.

[mariethefoxy]

Whoever was keeping track, there is still a handful of Button Copy signs on the Harlem River Drive, Southbound by Exit 16 and 15 there is one sign, and Northbound near Exit 17-18 there are a few but given the crazy construction in that area they probably wont last.

[fmendes]

I've heard that the state is widening the Van Wyck from the Kew Gardens interchange to JFK Airport... but I think we need to seriously have a discussion about extending the Clearview Expwy. to JFK airport. Only a tunnel would work in today's environment, but it would expand JFK capacity, and provide people with an alternative to the Van Wyck. Maybe this can happen with a new expansive infrastructure bill?

This isn't Fictional Highways.

I know, just throwing around ideas, but adding another lane to the Van Wyck will not ease congestion in a meaningful way. The State needs to find other alternatives, because if they don't find a solution then we would be wasting the potential of JFK International Airport.

not really tho one massive improvement will be the short weave between atlantic and liberty avenues will be eliminated and the exit ramps to the belt parkway will be moved a half of mile north and the GUL will be shifted following the present collector/distributer road and and a lane will be added tothe exit to west bound belt parkway and the entrance ramp to belt parkway will be moved to the existing intersection at conduit ave allowing 800ft more of merging distance 

[TheDon102]

So some news on the Bruckner...

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-completion-204-million-project-rehabilitate-section-bruckner

[Mr. Matté]

4" dip on the West Side Hwy:

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/10/09/commuter-alert-west-side-highway-drop-off/

[bluecountry]

When is the HDR/FDR interchange work going to be done?

[vdeane]

Looks like the freeway removal activists are now coming for the Cross Bronx: https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/blog/21158895/oped-reimagining-the-cross-bronx-expressway-as-a-high-capacity-transit-corridor

[Alps]

Looks like the freeway removal activists are now coming for the Cross Bronx: https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/blog/21158895/oped-reimagining-the-cross-bronx-expressway-as-a-high-capacity-transit-corridor

Yeah, because there's no traffic on that corridor to maintain.

[Plutonic Panda]

Wow i hope that concept doesn't see anywhere near the light of day. Man I love mass transit and see the amazing value alternative transportation provides but it seems like the more transit these transit advocates get the more they get extreme and want to remove car based transportation and that makes me want to support rail less and less.

[TheDon102]

Wow i hope that concept doesn't see anywhere near the light of day. Man I love mass transit and see the amazing value alternative transportation provides but it seems like the more transit these transit advocates get the more they get extreme and want to remove car based transportation and that makes me want to support rail less and less.

It won't, the cross bronx isn't going anywhere. I can see decking over the cross bronx and making more "green space" and maybe that can include lightrail or BRT, but actually using the trench is a non-starter. I-95 in New York is essential for freight not to mention system contiguity.  If anything the Cross Bronx needs to be widened . 


This is just a pipe dream, even the recent RPA plan admits that it would be impossible.

[bluecountry]

Wow i hope that concept doesn't see anywhere near the light of day. Man I love mass transit and see the amazing value alternative transportation provides but it seems like the more transit these transit advocates get the more they get extreme and want to remove car based transportation and that makes me want to support rail less and less.

It won't, the cross bronx isn't going anywhere. I can see decking over the cross bronx and making more "green space" and maybe that can include lightrail or BRT, but actually using the trench is a non-starter. I-95 in New York is essential for freight not to mention system contiguity.  If anything the Cross Bronx needs to be widened . 


This is just a pipe dream, even the recent RPA plan admits that it would be impossible.

Exactly.
My goal would be a completely re-built I-95 in NYC that has wider lanes, real shoulders, better merges, and is decked.

[roadman65]

Why are buses exempt from the Left Turn prohibition on Forty Second Street at Fifth Avenue in Midtown? They even get their own turn lane.
https://goo.gl/maps/odsLPk4MUzNm18rW7

[Alps]

Why are buses exempt from the Left Turn prohibition on Forty Second Street at Fifth Avenue in Midtown? They even get their own turn lane.
https://goo.gl/maps/odsLPk4MUzNm18rW7

Because that's the bus route

[roadman65]

Why are buses exempt from the Left Turn prohibition on Forty Second Street at Fifth Avenue in Midtown? They even get their own turn lane.
https://goo.gl/maps/odsLPk4MUzNm18rW7

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

Anyway, on another subject, I noticed in GSV how the new tunnel doors are in place at the Midtown Tunnel.  All brass colored and feature the State Seal on them.  Also I see the plaza at the east end is gone for the AET, but the gantries for tolling are on the Manhattan side of the tunnel.
Because that's the bus route

[Ned Weasel]

Why are buses exempt from the Left Turn prohibition on Forty Second Street at Fifth Avenue in Midtown? They even get their own turn lane.
https://goo.gl/maps/odsLPk4MUzNm18rW7

Because that's the bus route

The real question is why they let people park in the bus lane.  (Or are they doing that illegally?)

[D-Dey65]

So some news on the Bruckner...

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-completion-204-million-project-rehabilitate-section-bruckner

They better not be trying to pull the same shit they did with the Sheridan! "Building back better" my ass!

Wow i hope that concept doesn't see anywhere near the light of day. Man I love mass transit and see the amazing value alternative transportation provides but it seems like the more transit these transit advocates get the more they get extreme and want to remove car based transportation and that makes me want to support rail less and less.

It won't, the cross bronx isn't going anywhere. I can see decking over the cross bronx and making more "green space" and maybe that can include lightrail or BRT, but actually using the trench is a non-starter. I-95 in New York is essential for freight not to mention system contiguity.  If anything the Cross Bronx needs to be widened . 


This is just a pipe dream, even the recent RPA plan admits that it would be impossible.

If they would've actually kept the Sheridan and extended it to Pelham like they were supposed to do, they would've had an alternative to the Cross Bronx that might've reduced the need for widening it east of West Farms. In the meantime, whenever I'm there I always look for sections where the decking of the road could be a good start. They can't really do it all at once. Somebody on YouTube mentioned the idea of a new subway line over the Cross Bronx, but I still think that if anything they should just extend the IND Concourse Line east of Norwood. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Any chance they could reconfigure the Interstate 278/NY 895 interchange so traffic does not have to exit to stay on Interstate 278? Or would the right-of-way impacts be too great to justify such a reconfiguration?

[empirestate]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

I don't understand. The bus is traffic. How does following its route screw it up?

[SignBridge]

Don't forget that the City's preference is to encourage use of mass transit so yes they might make the bus route more convenient at the expense of other traffic.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

On average there's probably no more than one bus per light cycle making that turn, and it can just make it after the light turns red. Plus during busy times a lot of these intersections in midtowns have traffic agents to keep things moving along. Not a big deal.

[roadman65]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

I don't understa

nd. The bus is traffic. How does following its route screw it up?

The reason why turns are prohibited for cars is it causes slowdowns. Many cities do this to avoid queues at lights. Plus if the side road is congested as well it dont overflow around the corner.

Newark, NJ has one at Broad and Market Streets and DeLand, FL has one at auS 17 & 92 and SR 44.  Plus many urban areas have no left turns to prevent queues or unsafe turning especially when no room for left turn lane.

[empirestate]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

I don't understa

nd. The bus is traffic. How does following its route screw it up?

The reason why turns are prohibited for cars is it causes slowdowns. Many cities do this to avoid queues at lights. Plus if the side road is congested as well it dont overflow around the corner.

Newark, NJ has one at Broad and Market Streets and DeLand, FL has one at auS 17 & 92 and SR 44.  Plus many urban areas have no left turns to prevent queues or unsafe turning especially when no room for left turn lane.

I'm afraid I still don't follow you. It seems like an exemption for certain traffic would benefit that traffic, not screw it up. Why is that not so?

[storm2k]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

I don't understand. The bus is traffic. How does following its route screw it up?

Buses also can force green light priority. You can see a couple of the transponders on the lights at the intersection. Buses carry the transmitters that can set green light priority so they can make that turn cleanly.

[empirestate]

Yeah it is, so the purpose of preventing turns in the first place is suspended due to a bus has to keep it's route.   Yeah that makes sense, allow a bus to continue its route while screwing up traffic.

I don't understand. The bus is traffic. How does following its route screw it up?

Buses also can force green light priority. You can see a couple of the transponders on the lights at the intersection. Buses carry the transmitters that can set green light priority so they can make that turn cleanly.

I hadn't heard about that before. But yeah, another thing that sounds more like it helps bus traffic than screws it up.

[D-Dey65]

If the opinions of Streetsblog is a reflection of most of the people in the Bronx, they don't seem as fond of buses either. Does anybody remember when I complained about the new design for Fordham Plaza? This still looks like an impediment for bus traffic, and it makes me think the anti-car/anti-bus people knew this. If the Cross Bronx were decked, somehow I doubt they'd accept a busway, and only certain sections could realistically be decked anyhow.