New York Thruway v.s. NY-17/I-86 & I-88

[JREwing78]

I have an unexpected visit to Maine in my near future, and was curious which way across New York would be the better option. I do not have the option to go through Canada, as I don't have the proper documentation to do so. So I'll be following I-90 through Ohio and Pennsylvania to the New York line, then choosing which way to get across New York.

The last time I drove I-90 across upstate New York, I remember it being quite scenic in spots, but otherwise very dull, traffic-choked, and interminably long. NY-17/I-86 and I-88 to Albany would add 29 miles by Google's reckoning, but appears to be much lighter traffic. Plus it'll save me about $15 in tolls. It's already going to be a 15+ hour drive, so 20 extra minutes of drive time isn't going to make much difference.

Any particular reason why I should stick to the Thruway instead of the free interstates?

[JREwing78]

Another thought: I-80 through Pennsylvania to I-81 -> I-84 through CT -> I-90 in MA? It splits the difference in mileage between the Thruway and I-86 -> I-88, and I should be htting CT after rush-hour.

[mtantillo]

It is unlikely that driving through Canada would save time unless you were starting in Michigan (I see you list Wisconsin in your profile), so no worries about no passport.  Customs delays can be very unpredictable even if you were starting in Michigan, unless you have a Nexus card. 

When passing through Cleveland area, I-480 to I-271 to I-90 might be better than going through downtown on I-90. 

If you think I-90 is no fun across NY, I-80 across PA (as well as I-81 and I-84 through CT) are probably even less fun, albeit cheaper tolls-wise.  Western CT is incredibly annoying to drive through, even by East Coast traffic standards!

I would recommend I-86/NY 17 and I-88 as a nice change of pace.  It is a heck of a lot more scenic than the Thruway, and fewer through trucks (since it is hillier).  Very lightly traveled in certain portions, but if you are traveling during the off hours, be sure to plan your stops in advance.  Lightly traveled means there aren't as many 24 hour services except in larger towns and cities. 

Don't forget, if you have I-Pass, it will work in E-ZPass lanes.  And in NY, you actually won't start paying tolls until after Exit 24 in Albany, since traffic entering from I-88 is granted free-passage within Exits 24 to 26 of the ticket system.  You'll still get a ticket when you enter, but the tolls to Exits 25 and 24 will be zero, and beyond Exit 24 will be the same as if you had entered at Exit 24.  Taking the Thruway to Exit 21A is better than staying on I-90 through Albany.  Same thing on the MassPike as far as a toll-free zone from Exits 1 to 6...this means tolls from the state line to points east of I-84 are only about $0.90 to $0.95 more than from entering at I-84. 

[empirestate]

I have an unexpected visit to Maine in my near future, and was curious which way across New York would be the better option. I do not have the option to go through Canada, as I don't have the proper documentation to do so. So I'll be following I-90 through Ohio and Pennsylvania to the New York line, then choosing which way to get across New York.

The last time I drove I-90 across upstate New York, I remember it being quite scenic in spots, but otherwise very dull, traffic-choked, and interminably long. NY-17/I-86 and I-88 to Albany would add 29 miles by Google's reckoning, but appears to be much lighter traffic. Plus it'll save me about $15 in tolls. It's already going to be a 15+ hour drive, so 20 extra minutes of drive time isn't going to make much difference.

Any particular reason why I should stick to the Thruway instead of the free interstates?

I-90 is only a bit scenic, and only in a few spots. The run along Lake Erie, several stretches between Buffalo and Syracuse, and between Syracuse and Utica, are all relatively uninteresting scenically. As for traffic-choked, I daresay you're either misremembering or are used to very low traffic volumes in your area (or you came through during some remarkable event). Through the Buffalo area, sure, you'll have dense urban traffic, but once you get into the ticketed area it will pretty much spread out.

That said, I agree with your instincts that I-86/I-88 will be more scenic, cheaper, and have even lighter traffic than the Thruway. And since that part of the route is now 100% freeway, absolutely go that way. The only thing the Thruway has over I-86/I-88 is service plazas, but big whoop. There are enough sizable towns along the Southern Tier route to have all the services you'll need; it's not western Utah after all!

Another thought: I-80 through Pennsylvania to I-81 -> I-84 through CT -> I-90 in MA? It splits the difference in mileage between the Thruway and I-86 -> I-88, and I should be htting CT after rush-hour.

Nah. I-80, for the type of terrain it traverses, is quite disappointingly boring, and I can corroborate that I-84 in western CT is susceptible to maddening traffic delays. What's more, they seem to occur later than the traditional rush hour, perhaps because of the influence of NYC-area commuters who left the city at rush hour and are just then getting as far as CT. In fact, the whole state is pretty unpleasant to drive in, due to congested freeways and driver behavior that seems to combine the worst aspects of NYC and New England.

[roadman]

I concur with empirestate.  Although I haven't driven the Thruway across NY State in almost 30 years, I've done both I-86/I-88/I-90 and I-84/I-90 in the recent past.  IMO, the former is clearly the better route from a scenic and traffic perspective.

[xcellntbuy]

Whenever possible, I always like to drive two different routes, one to, and a different one from, my destination.  Lots more fun that way.

[hbelkins]

If you think I-90 is no fun across NY, I-80 across PA (as well as I-81 and I-84 through CT) are probably even less fun, albeit cheaper tolls-wise.  Western CT is incredibly annoying to drive through, even by East Coast traffic standards!

I keep seeing people post this sentiment about I-80 in Pennsylvania, and I couldn't disagree more. Not much to see west of I-79 and for a short distance eastward, but I have always enjoyed any travels I've made across the Keystone Shortway. I find it to be quite scenic. I've done the stretch between I-99 and I-81 more than any other and it's not a bad drive at all.

I drove I-86 from I-90 to Elmira about three years ago and while it's scenic, much of the pavement was in absolutely horrendous condition. I don't know if NYSDOT has made any improvements to it since then, but they were badly needed back then.

[Duke87]

I would go with 86/88. Saves on tolls and is more interesting than 90. Also, the first 150 miles of I-86 from 90 to 390 are rather lightly traveled, so you have some freedom there.

I-84 through Connecticut can be iffy. Don't be surprised if you hit traffic around Waterbury, possibly also elsewhere if it's rush hour during the week. I-80 through PA will also inevitably have a traffic jam somewhere, because PennDOT has for years been redoing the road in sections and the amount of traffic it carries doesn't handle being squeezed down to a single lane well. Also, lots of trucks. Although, you'll avoid the most notorious section (around Stroudsburg) if you get off at I-81.

The Thruway isn't going to be a problem traffic-wise and is probably a better route if it's snowing because NYSTA is very vigilant about keeping the road well plowed and salted. But, it is mostly dull in terms of scenery, it involves a toll, and if you've been on it before you might as well take a different route for that reason alone.

[mtantillo]

If you think I-90 is no fun across NY, I-80 across PA (as well as I-81 and I-84 through CT) are probably even less fun, albeit cheaper tolls-wise.  Western CT is incredibly annoying to drive through, even by East Coast traffic standards!

I keep seeing people post this sentiment about I-80 in Pennsylvania, and I couldn't disagree more. Not much to see west of I-79 and for a short distance eastward, but I have always enjoyed any travels I've made across the Keystone Shortway. I find it to be quite scenic. I've done the stretch between I-99 and I-81 more than any other and it's not a bad drive at all.

I drove I-86 from I-90 to Elmira about three years ago and while it's scenic, much of the pavement was in absolutely horrendous condition. I don't know if NYSDOT has made any improvements to it since then, but they were badly needed back then.

I was on a short stretch near Salamanca a few weeks ago (just the US 219 overlap).  It was in awful condition.  Between I-390 and Corning was acceptable though. 

[froggie]

That said, I agree with your instincts that I-86/I-88 will be more scenic, cheaper, and have even lighter traffic than the Thruway. And since that part of the route is now 100% freeway, absolutely go that way.

Did they finally get rid of the last at-grade intersections east of Elmira?

[JREwing78]

I've been on both I-80 in PA and I-90 in NY. Never been on I-86 & I-88 in NY. Looks like that's the winner. Sadly no time to sightsee this trip. Thanks to everyone.

[machias]

I was on a short stretch near Salamanca a few weeks ago (just the US 219 overlap).  It was in awful condition.  Between I-390 and Corning was acceptable though. 

I believe that's still the original concrete (with patching) from the late 1980s.

[1995hoo]

I've been on both I-80 in PA and I-90 in NY. Never been on I-86 & I-88 in NY. ....

I'd say these two sentences alone resolve the matter!

[thenetwork]

Isn't Salamanca the city along I-86 where you can get cheap gas (as in no NY state tax -- a savings of 30 cents /gallon +/- ), as it sits within an Indian Reservation?

[empirestate]

I keep seeing people post this sentiment about I-80 in Pennsylvania, and I couldn't disagree more. Not much to see west of I-79 and for a short distance eastward, but I have always enjoyed any travels I've made across the Keystone Shortway. I find it to be quite scenic. I've done the stretch between I-99 and I-81 more than any other and it's not a bad drive at all.

Well, for my part I express that sentiment in a relative sense. There are some dramatic stretches on I-80, typically where it jogs across one of the ridges of the ridge-and-valley province it traverses, but then there are a lot of stretches of unbroken woodland which, though perfectly pleasant and serene and all, don't give a good representation of the beauty of that part of Pennsylvania. If you were to cross the state on US 6 instead, you'd see a fair amount of better scenery than you get on I-80. So it's not an ugly or unpleasant trip by any means; it just doesn't live up to its full potential. (Another road that I find inexcusably dreary is I-380: right smack through the Poconos, and not a darn thing to see!)

I drove I-86 from I-90 to Elmira about three years ago and while it's scenic, much of the pavement was in absolutely horrendous condition. I don't know if NYSDOT has made any improvements to it since then, but they were badly needed back then.

There are or have been a bunch of work projects listed on this stretch, but I almost never get west of I-390 so I can't vouch for how much progress is being made.

I-84 through Connecticut can be iffy. Don't be surprised if you hit traffic around Waterbury, possibly also elsewhere if it's rush hour during the week.

It's west of and through Danbury where I tend to hit the traffic...basically starting right from I-684, all the way to Waterbury. Come to think of it, it all pretty much sucks.

Did they finally get rid of the last at-grade intersections east of Elmira?

Yes, if you mean the ones just east of Elmira. The last at-grade intersections are east of both Elmira and I-81, so they wouldn't come into play on the proposed route.

Isn't Salamanca the city along I-86 where you can get cheap gas (as in no NY state tax -- a savings of 30 cents /gallon +/- ), as it sits within an Indian Reservation?

Yes, Salamanca lies mostly within an Indian reservation, some mostly-unpopulated sections excepted. There are also several spots where you can easily dip into Pennsylvania and get gas slightly above that state's usual. (You still get the near-border markup, of course!)

[vdeane]

Yes, if you mean the ones just east of Elmira. The last at-grade intersections are east of both Elmira and I-81, so they wouldn't come into play on the proposed route.

Not that Hale Eddy causes traffic problems.  No stopping, very little traffic, and the 55 zone isn't specific to the interchanges.

[Compulov]

I-80 through PA isn't bad as far as scenery goes. The thing that really drives me insane is the amount of truck traffic on that road. You cannot set cruise control for any length of time in the left lane before you get cut off by a truck that wants to go 1 mph faster than the guy in the right lane. I always take the PA Turnpike (unless it's completely out of the way, and that's rare) because I just don't encounter that annoying truck behavior as much. That, and I like the tunnels.

[empirestate]

Yes, if you mean the ones just east of Elmira. The last at-grade intersections are east of both Elmira and I-81, so they wouldn't come into play on the proposed route.

Not that Hale Eddy causes traffic problems.  No stopping, very little traffic, and the 55 zone isn't specific to the interchanges.

True; none of the current or former junctions east of Elmira would have been any reason to avoid the route. Horseheads was the biggest slow-down (once the Corning bypass opened), with several lights and lots of local traffic, and even that wasn't such a big deal over the course of a long trip.

[Alps]

If you think I-90 is no fun across NY, I-80 across PA (as well as I-81 and I-84 through CT) are probably even less fun, albeit cheaper tolls-wise.  Western CT is incredibly annoying to drive through, even by East Coast traffic standards!

I keep seeing people post this sentiment about I-80 in Pennsylvania, and I couldn't disagree more. Not much to see west of I-79 and for a short distance eastward, but I have always enjoyed any travels I've made across the Keystone Shortway. I find it to be quite scenic. I've done the stretch between I-99 and I-81 more than any other and it's not a bad drive at all.

I-80 is scenic the first couple of times. After about 10 drives in the span of a few months, every time I'm on the road all I do is check off the exits and landmarks as I go, and wish PA weren't so damned long.

[JREwing78]

Back. I can report that I-86 -> I-88 was definitely less stressful than my last trip on I-90 across New York, even if it rained the entire trip to Main and half of the trip back. And yes, the stretch around Salamanca is pretty bumpy, though much of it was being redone as we drove through.