Driving through cities vs. bypasses

[froggie]

Northeastern Vermont off I-91 is where I go.  Typically, from Baltimore I'll take an I-83/US 30/US 222/I-78 routing.  Then, depending on how I'm feeling and what time it is, I'll either stay on I-78 to I-287 to the Thruway, or I'll take a PA 33/US 209/I-84 routing to the Thruway.  Pretty much the same routing and routing option on the return trip.

[Duke87]

My philosphy is thus:

Since bypasses are usually longer than the through route, they are to be avoided unless traffic on the through route is worse. Though, the through route having been clinched but the bypass having not has in recent times also become a valid excuse to go the other way. I can do that when I'm behind the wheel. Anyone else in the family would think it silly. As my father has quipped, I am "the master of finding longer alternate routes for no good reason."

I always wonder why the Cross Bronx is THAT terrible. Traffic counts are not extraordinarily high for a six-lane freeway. (max. 150,000). Maybe it's the design of the interchanges and offramps that cause waiting lines starting at the mainline lanes, then you're screwed...

Tight geometry of the highway and its on and offramps certainly plays a role, but the biggest killer is the combination of a high truck count and hills.

Another fun way is taking the Goethels or Outer Crossing Bridge, follow I-278 across Staten Island and Brooklyn, to I-495 towards Throngs Neck back onto I-95. I did that once when Cross Bronx was closed due to a big accident.

Or just stay on I-278 over the Triborough. Or take the Grand Central Parkway I-678 to the Whitestone. There's lost of ways to vary that detour, but I-278 has its own traffic problems that the Jersey Turnpike typically does not, and it'll cost you about $3 extra in tolls.
It's good as a thing to do for fun, or to clinch some new lengths of road, but it's probably not a better route for most purposes.

The classic route to avoid the Cross Bronx is to take I-87 to the Cross County to the Hutch. Puts you in a little traffic southbound with that crazy ramp, but the alternative to avoid that, using the Henry Hudson Parkway instead of I-87, involves an extra toll. A truck version of this is I-87 to I-287, although that is longer.
When coming from points west, picking up I-287 in New Jersey is also a viable option.

[froggie]

When coming from points west, picking up I-287 in New Jersey is also a viable option.

Coming from points west, yes.  Coming from points south (to include Philly/Trenton), it's usually easier to pay the tolls along the GSP, at least in my experience.

[mightyace]

I generally go whatever is quicker unless one is substantially easier.

I take I-71 through Columbus and Cincinnati as I-270 and I-275 are WAY too long to make an effective bypass.

My brother like to take I-65 and I-71 through Downtown Louisville though I prefer I-265/KY 841.  I-265 has a higher speed limit and you don't have to mess with Spaghetti Junction (I-64/65/71), especially the SB ramp from I-71 SB to I-65 SB.

Now that the work is done, I-40 through Knoxville and not I-640.

Around Chicago, to/from Milwaukee, the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294) is much less hassle that trying to go through Chicago despite the tolls.

Around Wheeling, it's hard to say, I-70 has the tunnel and I-470 has the long hill on the WV end, so pick your poison!

Going to/from Philly airport or even the stadiums in South Philly, I prefer I-476 to the Sure-kill Expressway.

US 222/422 around Reading is much easier than trying to go through the town. (Connecting PA 61 to I-176)

I disagree with Froggie on using I-476 as a Scranton bypass.  It may be shorter but stopping for the tolls slows you down.  And, the NE Extension is too claustrophobic for my taste!

[froggie]

No more claustrophobic than squeezing between trucks on I-81...

I timed it several times.  The shorter distance and higher speed limit more than made up for the toll slowdowns, which really weren't that bad.  Though to be fair, having an EZPass helped.  And it was much more consistent than the unpredicatable slog along I-81.

[mightyace]

No more claustrophobic than squeezing between trucks on I-81...

I timed it several times.  The shorter distance and higher speed limit more than made up for the toll slowdowns, which really weren't that bad.  Though to be fair, having an EZPass helped.  And it was much more consistent than the unpredicatable slog along I-81.

You must use I-81 at different times than I have recently. I have never, ever encountered any traffic issues on I-81.  However, as I am only up that way on vacation anymore, I tend to go through at off peak times.  I'm not saying there's no traffic issues just that I've been fortunate enough not to have encountered them. 

Of course, if you're actually going to Scranton or headed for US 6 East or I-84 then I-81 is still a better choice which is the case with me.  I can't remember the last time I went past the Clarks' Summit/I-476 exit on I-81.

Also, neither I nor my Dad have an EZPass so we'd have to pay cash and given Rendell and company trying to put tolls on I-80, I want to give the PTC as little money as possible. 

[Sykotyk]

81 has had horrible construction traffic in the W-B/S area. Slow speed limits, limited lanes, shifting, etc.

Sykotyk

[mightyace]

81 has had horrible construction traffic in the W-B/S area. Slow speed limits, limited lanes, shifting, etc.

Sykotyk

Ah, there's the rub. 

I haven't been up to Wilkes-Barre since last Christmas.

[froggie]

Most of my I-81/Scranton experience was late evenings (well after rush hour).  It's not that there's congestion-type traffic...it's that the route is a heavily used truck corridor and the trucks tend to slow things down even more than the 55 MPH speed limit does.

[Sykotyk]

I-81 is a big truck corridor for trucks bypassing NYC via I-84 into Connecticut. Which is why that super-tight cloverleaf at I-80/I-81 is so poorly planned. Many trucks take those too fast and roll.

Sykotyk

[mightyace]

I-81 is a big truck corridor for trucks bypassing NYC via I-84 into Connecticut. Which is why that super-tight cloverleaf at I-80/I-81 is so poorly planned. Many trucks take those too fast and roll.

Sykotyk

Especially since US 209 North out of Stroudsburg was closed to trucks.  I remember when trucks still used that as a shortcut from I-80 to I-84.  As a byproduct of the creation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, local officials were able to get trucks banned on the part of US 209 in the Recreation Area.  After that happened, all that traffic moved to I-81.

[hbelkins]

I do the "quicker" route as well.

If I'm using the I-75 to I-74 corridor in the Cincinnati area, I usually take I-275 and clip the corner of Indiana instead of going through downtown Cincinnati.

Right now I'm trying to figure out whether I-95 or I-495 south from New Hampshire to I-295 near Providence would be the best way to navigate Boston. Most advice I'm getting says I-495 is about 10 miles longer but traffic on 95 will actually make 495 the faster route.

[leifvanderwall]

There are bypasses that are actually bypasses like I-285 at Atlanta, I-294 and I-355 at Chicago, I-275/US 23 around Detroit, I-465 at Indy, and I-695 at Baltimore but most loops actually slow you down. And then you have 3dis that actually go through cities like I-290 in Chicago, I-675 in Saginaw and I-275 in Tampa-St. Pete. Want to take the Tampa Bay Bypass? Take I-75.

[hbelkins]

There are bypasses that are actually bypasses like I-285 at Atlanta, I-294 and I-355 at Chicago, I-275/US 23 around Detroit, I-465 at Indy, and I-695 at Baltimore but most loops actually slow you down. And then you have 3dis that actually go through cities like I-290 in Chicago, I-675 in Saginaw and I-275 in Tampa-St. Pete. Want to take the Tampa Bay Bypass? Take I-75.

I'm old enough to remember when I-75 in Tampa actually took the route of today's I-275, and I-75 ended at I-4.

[agentsteel53]

I'm old enough to remember when I-75 in Tampa actually took the route of today's I-275, and I-75 ended at I-4.

I just remember once getting deked at the northbound, southern 75/275 split.  275 goes to the *left* because that is the originally built through road.  I was on 275 for about four miles before I realized my mistake!