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We moved to Rockland from Queens this past year. I’ve been lucky enough that I can drive to our Norwalk, CT office a few times a week, and also work in the city the other half, but so far both morning commutes have taken 1.5-2 hours each way. I can’t seem to find any faster or less stressful way to work.
The drive across Tappan Zee bridge and through I-287 is so painful I almost want to tear my hair out! Merritt Parkway / I-95 is fine but getting there is the issue.
I’ve been taking the Coach USA 49 / 49J buses to either Port Authority (which is 17 minute walk to GCT with a sea of people) or a crawl to Bryant Park taking 49J. I’ve taken the Shuttle / 7 train a few times from Port. Authority but it seems silly to spend $2.50 when I still have to cram myself with others to only shave off 7 minutes. The Rockland coach bus time varies, especially when it slows to a crawl going into that loop to Lincoln Tunnel’s bus lane — door to door it’s 1hr, 45 min - 2 hours in the morning (night time commute hasn’t been bad at all — usually 1.5 hrs - that includes the 20 minute walk to Port Authority).
I also tried NJ Transit’s Pascack Valley Line from Nanuet - but that commute requires a transfer at Secaucus Junction, and then a 20 minute walk to Grand Central or take the 1,2,3 to S.
At this point the only two options I have not tried is the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry (the ferry landing is a 16 minute drive from where I live) and then catching the train at Ossining, or taking the Tappan Zee Express bus (TZx) from Palisades Center to Tarrytown. However, given that the bridge doesn’t have any bus lanes yet and I crawl through it all the time — I’m not sure how that bus performs (would it even get to the train station on time - did they build in expected traffic time)?
Does anyone take the TZx to Tarrytown or the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry? Which do you prefer? Also, how does the Metro-North Hudson line perform? Is it mostly on time or wracked with delays? All of this should be better when the new bus system, Hudson Links, replaces TZx but that’s a few years away…
Also, has anyone taken the Northern District Coach bus (the one from Exit 14's Park & Ride)? How is the parking situation there if I was to go around 7 AM EST (fully packed)? I heard this bus goes into the city faster than the 49J but I'm about 15 minutes away from this lot.
We moved to Rockland from Queens this past year. I’ve been lucky enough that I can drive to our Norwalk, CT office a few times a week, and also work in the city the other half, but so far both morning commutes have taken 1.5-2 hours each way. I can’t seem to find any faster or less stressful way to work.
The drive across Tappan Zee bridge and through I-287 is so painful I almost want to tear my hair out! Merritt Parkway / I-95 is fine but getting there is the issue.
I’ve been taking the Coach USA 49 / 49J buses to either Port Authority (which is 17 minute walk to GCT with a sea of people) or a crawl to Bryant Park taking 49J. I’ve taken the Shuttle / 7 train a few times from Port. Authority but it seems silly to spend $2.50 when I still have to cram myself with others to only shave off 7 minutes. The Rockland coach bus time varies, especially when it slows to a crawl going into that loop to Lincoln Tunnel’s bus lane — door to door it’s 1hr, 45 min - 2 hours in the morning (night time commute hasn’t been bad at all — usually 1.5 hrs - that includes the 20 minute walk to Port Authority).
I also tried NJ Transit’s Pascack Valley Line from Nanuet - but that commute requires a transfer at Secaucus Junction, and then a 20 minute walk to Grand Central or take the 1,2,3 to S.
At this point the only two options I have not tried is the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry (the ferry landing is a 16 minute drive from where I live) and then catching the train at Ossining, or taking the Tappan Zee Express bus (TZx) from Palisades Center to Tarrytown. However, given that the bridge doesn’t have any bus lanes yet and I crawl through it all the time — I’m not sure how that bus performs (would it even get to the train station on time - did they build in expected traffic time)?
Does anyone take the TZx to Tarrytown or the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry? Which do you prefer? Also, how does the Metro-North Hudson line perform? Is it mostly on time or wracked with delays? All of this should be better when the new bus system, Hudson Links, replaces TZx but that’s a few years away…
Also, has anyone taken the Northern District Coach bus (the one from Exit 14's Park & Ride)? How is the parking situation there if I was to go around 7 AM EST (fully packed)? I heard this bus goes into the city faster than the 49J but I'm about 15 minutes away from this lot.
Many thanks for your help!
After one epic commute on a holiday Friday that took about 4 hours, I solved this very same problem by moving to Westchester.
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