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I'm plotting out a route of travel, and the shortest route takes me through here:


I'll be passing through around 12-1am, so I'm not worried about traffic. What I want to know is: How much will it cost me?
I know there are tolls all over, and IIRC there might be a tax for driving in Manhattan (the whole 1/4mi that I'll be there).
It will be worth avoiding if it'll cost me $20. Those hours are often the hardest to drive at night, and it would be nice to have some scenery to keep me awake.

On the Cross Bronx Expressway, the gunshots and the bullets flying by will keep you awake. - Just joking.

Seriously, though, I drove up 87 from the BQE a couple of years ago and don't recall any tolls to speak of until we got to the Tappan Zee Bridge. You will, of course, have a toll on the George Washington Bridge.

For what it's worth, the bridges around NYC only charge a toll in one direction and they don't seem to charge any tolls on the roads in NYC - in Westchester County they might have toll roads.

Driving in Manhattan is totally cool. It's like 5.9 driving! You need to be totally focused on what you're doing. (not as bad a race car driving)

If you have to drive through Manhattan, be sure to highpoint the Empire State Building that costs like $25 bucks but if you've never done it, it's worth it. (not including parking costs)

The Geoge Washington bridge will cost you $8 or $9 dollars to cross (it always goes up) after that there will be no more tolls or fees of any kind. This is the most direct route especially at the time you will passing through although it does not gaurantee no traffic. The only other alternative is to drive north on th palisades parkway and take the Tappan Zee Bridge for $5 or $6 dollars, Much less direct even with the traffic factor.

Yeti wrote:I'll be passing through around 12-1am, so I'm not worried about traffic. What I want to know is: How much will it cost me?

dont have a breakdown or the tolls will be the least of your worries...You're not exactly in manhattan you see on the am news shows there.

Couldn't tell where you are going but,
GW is $8 or $9 going into NYC. You don't have to pay to leave. Tappan Zee is $5 going into Westchester. Newburgh Bridge (just before New Paltz) is $1.
On I-95 there is a $1($1.50? tolls keep going up!) toll around New Rochelle.
Check for construction. They tend to do construction late at night and that can be almost as bad as rush hour. So, the shortest route may not be the fastest.
Going through CT on 1-95 can be hell at any hour.

I drive all the time in Manhattan, it's not a big deal. I can't really tell where you are coming from and where you are going to.

If you are coming in from Jersey, the GWB is gonna cost you $8 peak hour, $6 off peak if you have EZpass. $2 if you have three people (carpool), you must enable your EZPass for carpool and go thru cash lane to tell the cashier.

I-95 can be bad, but midnight should be good. However, unless I hear the news, I would take Hutchinson Parkway. If your family is in eastern part of CT/NY (Rye, New Haven), then I would suggest to go over GBW to shorten the drive. Go via Hutchinson Parkway then Route 15 Merritt Parkway (no trucks).

If your family is above Tappan Zee, the toll is $5 (I think). The best scenic route would be jump on Palisades Parkway before GWB. Driving up the Palisades, NYC view on your right side, it's actually quite nice at night. The cut across to I-87 to TZB then White Plain.

If all else fail, go all the way up by Harriman State Park, cross the Bear Mountain Bridge $1, and come all the way down, but I don't know how much gas money you'll spend.

Make sure you check construction information before you leave, otherwise, you might get stuck before road paving vehicles.

Finally, since you are in JZ, make sure you fill up your tank before crossing over to NY.

PM me if you need more detail.

rpc wrote:

Yeti wrote:I'll be passing through around 12-1am, so I'm not worried about traffic. What I want to know is: How much will it cost me?

dont have a breakdown or the tolls will be the least of your worries...You're not exactly in manhattan you see on the am news shows there.

Ditto on the least of your worries. When I get my car serviced at the dealer on the West Side, the labor alone is roughly $110 per hour. Yikes!

I haven't driven in NYC since Dinkins was mayor. It was an experience. My recollection was that you had to drive aggressively and that everyone were assholes, too.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. From what I'm seeing here and elsewhere, it'll be best to bypass it: "If your destination isn't NYC, don't go to NYC. If your driving destination is NYC, just shoot yourself in the face."

i've been in NYC once since i moved from newburgh, NY back in 04. i was going to hellfest 04 in elizabeth NJ and we got lost and got on a brdge going to NYC. holy cow that was an expensive mistake. the highways can be crazy at night depending on sports. It would be madness when we came home from Mets games. pizza rules and Time Square is a really weird feeling walking around. just go up the palisades parkway and find a different way.

xDoogiex wrote: i was going to hellfest 04 in elizabeth NJ...

NYC IS the hellfest!

I used to live in Connecticut and I always tried to go around NYC as much as possible.

Yeti wrote:Thanks for the replies, everyone. From what I'm seeing here and elsewhere, it'll be best to bypass it: "If your destination isn't NYC, don't go to NYC. If your driving destination is NYC, just shoot yourself in the face."

Not true, you would be on highways the entire time on this route, any other way adds unecesarry time. Dont be afraid, its really not that bad.

Your route takes you on 95 north (GWB) to the Deegan North (87) to the Cross County Parkway east to the Hutchinson parkway north To 684 North, really direct to be quite honest with you. In fact you may have a more difficult time finding the entrance to the Palisades Parkway north than by taking this route.

Yeti wrote:Thanks for the replies, everyone. From what I'm seeing here and elsewhere, it'll be best to bypass it: "If your destination isn't NYC, don't go to NYC. If your driving destination is NYC, just shoot yourself in the face."

That's not what I'm saying. I drive quite a bit in and out of the city, cutting thru the city can reduce your driving distance, and that might save you gas money and time. Like I say, post your destination and starting location, I can probably give you some pointers.

90 in NY is the NY thru-way. You could do 80e in pa to 81N then 84E and then you can cross the newburgh-beacon bridge which is a dollar. Plus go through my hometown