NYC Roads

[Mergingtraffic]

I was going through old pics on my computer and I found these...I didn't know I had.
It was like Christmas.
Non-reflective button copy from Staten Island.  These signs were from the days before lowered speed limits and bike lanes.

[crispy93]

These signs were from the days before lowered speed limits and bike lanes.

If those signs are pre-1973, then 440 and the Richmond Parkway (and maybe the SIE) had 55 MPH speed limits. Today, the city DOT won't raise any limits above 50 (NYCDOT sets speed limits on state roads in NYC).

[NJRoadfan]

Those signs are even that old. There used to be an all text NY-440 onramp BGS on Trantor Pl. (here: https://goo.gl/maps/2BFzjJCCYqpvCVBE6 )

Used to say:

NY-440 NORTH
Bayonne Br

[SignBridge]

I don't think NYC ever had speed limits anywhere over 50mph, even before 1973. Seems to me the limits on NYC parkways and expressways was always 50mph from the 1960's on.

[D-Dey65]

I wouldn't put it past the current NYC Mayor to suggest removing the entire highway. It's just the kind of idea he would approve of. But realistically, even if such an idea were floated, I think smarter heads in the region would prevail.

We can only hope.

No way is a section of the BQE just going to disappear. The consequences would be a disaster and most people know that.

Unless they're thoughtless anti-car fanatics who idolize Jane Jacobs, and think that eliminating it will save their neighborhood.

[crispy93]

I don't think NYC ever had speed limits anywhere over 50mph, even before 1973. Seems to me the limits on NYC parkways and expressways was always 50mph from the 1960's on.

I read that on the NYC Roads site but the page on speed limits no longer loads. I found this article from 1970 showing plans to raise the speed limit on the BRP, BP, and CIP to 55 mph: https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/17/archives/55-mph-speed-due-on-parkways-in-city.html

[SignBridge]

Interesting; I do not remember that, or when they were dropped back to 50mph, but I assume it was in the mid-1970's.

[bluecountry]

When is the Harlem River Drive project going to be done?

[Mergingtraffic]

When is the Harlem River Drive project going to be done?

Isn't it almost done? 

[Mergingtraffic]

At the end of the video there's a long shot of an expressway and a TOLL AHEAD sign.  Where is that?

[SignBridge]

Looks like eastbound coming off the old Goethal's Bridge on Staten Island.

[lepidopteran]

New roads leading from LaGuardia Airport to the Grand Central Pkwy.

[Plutonic Panda]

New roads in NYC!?!? 

[Alps]

New roads in NYC!?!? 

Major redo of how everything works in LGA.

[NJRoadfan]

At the end of the video there's a long shot of an expressway and a TOLL AHEAD sign.  Where is that?

They must have picked the most unflattering scenes of NYC to film that outro. Highlights include a garbage barge on the Arthur Kill, random NYC street scenes filled with garbage, and random industrial buildings with smoke stacks. The only bright spot was that the bridge tolls were "only" $2!

[crispy93]

Drove down the Sheridan again last weekend, the signs on the BRP and 278 now say NY 878895/Sheridan Blvd. 895 southbound has two traffic signals (neither activated yet), a 30 MPH speed limit (thought it was supposed to be 35, might be temporary), and an exit for Westchester Ave. At that exit, the pull through says "278 West, Bruckner Expwy." After the underpass, the 50 MPH limit returns and transitions into 278 west toward the Triboro Bridge.

[Roadgeek Adam]

878 got one hell of an extension.

[storm2k]

Drove down the Sheridan again last weekend, the signs on the BRP and 278 now say NY 878/Sheridan Blvd. 878 southbound has two traffic signals (neither activated yet), a 30 MPH speed limit (thought it was supposed to be 35, might be temporary), and an exit for Westchester Ave. At that exit, the pull through says "278 West, Bruckner Expwy." After the underpass, the 50 MPH limit returns and transitions into 278 west toward the Triboro Bridge.

Isn't that supposed to be NY-895?

[74/171FAN]

Drove down the Sheridan again last weekend, the signs on the BRP and 278 now say NY 878/Sheridan Blvd. 878 southbound has two traffic signals (neither activated yet), a 30 MPH speed limit (thought it was supposed to be 35, might be temporary), and an exit for Westchester Ave. At that exit, the pull through says "278 West, Bruckner Expwy." After the underpass, the 50 MPH limit returns and transitions into 278 west toward the Triboro Bridge.

Isn't that supposed to be NY-895?

Yes hence Roadgeek Adam's joke.

[Mergingtraffic]

https://nyctmc.org/

Looking at the traffic cams where NY-895 splits off from I-278, it used to be a two-lane ramp, now it's a one lane ramp.  Why??

[74/171FAN]

https://nyctmc.org/

Looking at the traffic cams where NY-895 splits off from I-278, it used to be a two-lane ramp, now it's a one lane ramp.  Why??

It is part of the demotion from I-895 to NY 895.

[Duke87]

https://nyctmc.org/

Looking at the traffic cams where NY-895 splits off from I-278, it used to be a two-lane ramp, now it's a one lane ramp.  Why??

It is part of the demotion from I-895 to NY 895.

Given the traffic counts you don't need more than a one-lane exit to 895 anyway. It already was a one-lane entrance going in the other direction and that never caused issues.

Through traffic on 278 needing to squeeze into two lanes and navigate a sharp curve to get through that interchange, on the other hand, is a problem and remains unresolved.

[crispy93]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to why the lane markings coming off the Whitestone Bridge in Queens are super thick? https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7945515,-73.8250643,3a,26y,152.1h,83.62t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snFHO6qlm6lHDbO-KULKGWg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Once past the Cross Island, they return to normal.

[bluecountry]

When is the Harlem River Drive project going to be done?

Isn't it almost done?

It's fine to 125th street then still a mess.

[Duke87]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to why the lane markings coming off the Whitestone Bridge in Queens are super thick? https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7945515,-73.8250643,3a,26y,152.1h,83.62t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snFHO6qlm6lHDbO-KULKGWg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

They've been like that since the project to rebuild the approach roadway was completed several years back. So it's a result of that project.

I'd have to figure either the contractor goofed... or the contractor followed some incorrect plans literally and TBTA decided to leave it instead of pay for a changeorder.