Commute to Jersey City from Pleasantville? (Yonkers, Cortland: garden, ferry, parking)

[paulman22]

Hi - can anyone provide feedback on the commute BY CAR from the pleasantville area to Jersey City during normal business hours? Is it shorter than the 1.5 hrs it would prob take by train?

Google maps gives the Holland Tunnel or GWB as options. I'm leaning toward the GWB. Does anyone know about the commute taking the Tappan Zee - this option is not provided unless I split the trip into 2.

Thank You

[bmwguydc]

GWB in the morning should not be too much of an issue, but I would use the Henry Hudson Parkway approach, since the toll-free Deegan does can easily have stop-and-go traffic from about 230th to the GWB and beyond. Returning, the GWB has more slow traffic in the afternoon than you would encounter in the morning, but generally it's superior to the tunnels. On days that are heavily trafficked, when there's a Yankee game, or summer Fridays, etc., I would take the Palisades to get to the Tappan Zee.

The TappanZee is actually not a bad route, but that would depend upon traffic on the Palisades in the AM. And, those mornings when the TappanZee has slow traffic because of the fog, it can be easier to go to the GWB.

[PullingHairs]

Definitely won't take you 1.5 hours every day, but some days it will. I feel that by the time you get to the GW, you could be across the TZ and 10 to 15 miles south on the Garden State (don't take the Pallisaides, the southern terminus dumps into the GWB approach (=traffic), and you have to head west anyway, to loop into Jersey City.) Being in Pleasantville, you can easily bypass the 287 approach (via the Saw Mill or Sprain). I'm a big fan of crossing the river as far north as you can, and worry about the North/South in NJ.

GW: The problem is with the approach. The Deegan will have a 10-20 min delay every morning even if there is no traffic on the Jersey bound side of the bridge. The Hen Hud approach is usually better BUT this means an additional toll every day. If there is an accident on the Hen Hud, forget about it, it will be a parking lot.

If you opt for the GW, I'd start off w/ the Deegan approach and see how it goes. If you see heavy volume, or hear reports of traffic, you can bail out at 242nd/Van Cortlandt, and follow Broadway down to Dykeman and grab the Hen Hud while ALSO bypassing the toll! :-). Unfortunately, this is a popular "shortcut" and if the Deegan is jammed, Broadway will be too.

If you opt for the Hen Hud, I don’t recommend that you come down the Saw Mill from Pleasantville. The traffic lights in Dobbs Ferry and Yonkers will kill you. Instead, grab the Sprain to Central Ave, to the Cross County to the Saw Mill/Hen Hud.

As for the TZ, if you find that the 287 and Sprain approaches are backing up (you’re reverse commuting, so it shouldn’t be terrible) I would try this side route from P'ville to the TZ: From Pleasantville, take Bedford Rd to 117 to Rt. 9 south and grab the TZ off Route 9.

As for the Holland Tunnel, I don't know how I feel about that. One the plus, if you can make your way down the West Side under decent conditions, and don't get creamed at the approach, the sucker dumps you right there. On the flip, you have to go wayyy downtown on 9A, traffic lights, etc. which will probably take more time than any backup at the bridge approaches. It's an interesting option worth trying at least once Jersey bound, but I wouldn't recommend the Holland coming home. West Side northbound is a disaster during the PM rush, and you'll just wind up sitting in traffic for the Jersey bound GW approach anyway, so you might as well cross up there, or the TZ on the way home.

[ponytrekker]

Take the TZ (against traffic)then Palisades or GSP. Deagan or HH would be a nightmare because you're in NYC commuting traffic.