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My new job will requires me to commute from Farmingdale to Carlstadt, NJ everyday (total close to 100 mile commute ), I am trying to keep fuel & toll cost as less as possible. I have come up following route for this commute:
Farmingdale to Carlstadt (Morning commute starting around 7:30 AM)
LIE/Northern State Parkway-> Queens Borough Bridge -> FDR Drive -> George Washington Bridge
Carlstadt to Farmingdale (Evening commute starting around 5:00 PM)
George Washington Bridge -> Harlem River/FDR Drive -> Queens Borough Bridge -> LIE
This way I will be paying toll only once at GWB while coming in to City.
Do I have any other better route/options that will save me more on toll/fuel cost? BTW, I will have to buy a cheap & reliable used car for this commute (will create a separate thread in automotive forum)
You're thinking about the commute all wrong, you need to focus on time management and just bite the bullet on the related costs. I drove from Northport to just west of Newark every day for nearly two years and worked every conceivable angle imaginable; you're looking at a killer commute. And if you're serious about the drive times you're hosed no matter which way you go. At those times you're looking at anywhere from 4-5 hours of driving on a reasonably good day; add another hour each way if it's raining/snowing.
Here's one absolute rule: Avoid driving through Manhattan proper. Your only chance is to take the GW into and out of NJ because there are multiple road options leading to the bridge on both sides and with live traffic mapping courtesy of Google or Waze you can make course corrections along the way to find the path of least resistance. Save some money by filling up in NJ only -I recommend taking Route 46 to the GW going home and filling up there. Also you need to get EZ Pass if you don't already.
I would also recommend you explore the possibility of using public transportation. One option I tried for a week was to take the LIRR to Penn, transfer to NJ Transit and take a train to the station nearest the client I was working for. From there I either took a taxi or had someone pick me up. The problem was that in NJ I was going the wrong way on both ends and the schedule wasn't very flexible. However you may be able to take the PATH and figure out a place to leave a car so you can drive the last leg in NJ. It won't save much time but it will be both cheaper and easier on your body/mind.
I'm sorry for making this all seem so ominous but it's a hard commute that will eventually break you. I also understand better than most that sometimes you have to do whatever necessary to earn a living but I implore you to continue looking for an alternative because your health will eventually suffer, trust me on that point.
And you need to seriously consider leaving closer to 6:00/6:30 than 7:30.
Agreed! On my outbound drive I would leave at 5:30 AM in order to enjoy an easier trip - I could make the drive in about ninety minutes. On the inbound drive I'd wait as close to 6:00 PM to start the drive home because if all went perfectly I could be in my house by 8:00 PM. My entire strategy was designed around spending as little time as possible sitting in my car.
Agreed! On my outbound drive I would leave at 5:30 AM in order to enjoy an easier trip - I could make the drive in about ninety minutes. On the inbound drive I'd wait as close to 6:00 PM to start the drive home because if all went perfectly I could be in my house by 8:00 PM. My entire strategy was designed around spending as little time as possible sitting in my car.
I commute to Carlstadt once a month and the morning commute isn't too bad taking Grand Central, to ClearView, TNB, CBE and GW. It usually takes me 1 -1.5 hours depending on how bad traffic is on the CBE leaving the house by 8am. I would only take FDR drive if there is major traffic on the CBE.
Coming back is a different story. I try to always leave by 4:00 pm and getting to back to NY is pretty good but the traffic on the LIE or GCP is horrible. Always 2 hours to get back. Leaving at 6 pm might be better.
I commute to Carlstadt once a month and the morning commute isn't too bad taking Grand Central, to ClearView, TNB, CBE and GW. It usually takes me 1 -1.5 hours depending on how bad traffic is on the CBE leaving the house by 8am. I would only take FDR drive if there is major traffic on the CBE.
Coming back is a different story. I try to always leave by 4:00 pm and getting to back to NY is pretty good but the traffic on the LIE or GCP is horrible. Always 2 hours to get back. Leaving at 6 pm might be better.
BTW, I live close to farmingdale also.
There's no way. Maybe this happens at 8:00 am on Christmas morning. Your looking at close to an hour on the CBE alone.
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