Best route to Brooklyn from Long Island?

[westview1]

Hi all!

 

My BF and I are taking the CB on Aug. 21, 2010. Since we live on Long Island (North Fork) we will be driving. We left from Brooklyn in 2008 on a Thursday and were delayed on the BQE (no surprise there). Since this cruise is leaving on Saturday my concern is the traffic, I am thinking of taking the Belt Pkwy instead. Any advice on which would be the better route would be much appreciated.

[TheOldBear]

I think that both options are liable for about the same incidence of delays. For example, the Mill Basin drawbridge [belt parkway] often has delays due to either 'thick air' [when you get to the delay, you see nothing unusual] or an accident on the far side.

 

I would delay the decision until listening to a few cycles of traffic reports on the AM news stations [880 & 1010] during the drive. Make the decision when you get to LIE Exit 49 [NY RT 110] or so.

[Brighton Line]

There is currently night time construction on the belt from Pennsylvania Ave to the Mill Basin Draw Bridge. While I know you will not be driving during construction times, they lanes do get narrow from the Jersey barriers and sometimes on the weekend things do come to a crawl. I personally would allow extra time. Last weekend it took me over an hour to go between those two exits (Gateway Mall to Coney Island Ave).

FWIW

[greatam]

Linden/Conduit/Rt 27 is also all torn up from the Van Wyck to the Prospect Expressway. One of the two exits-either Prospect Expressway or Atlantic going East on the BQE was totally closed yesterday and they were routing everyone onto Flatbush. Atlantic was wide open from the Van Wyck all the way to the BQE going West.

[smeyer418]

Hi all!

 

My BF and I are taking the CB on Aug. 21, 2010. Since we live on Long Island (North Fork) we will be driving. We left from Brooklyn in 2008 on a Thursday and were delayed on the BQE (no surprise there). Since this cruise is leaving on Saturday my concern is the traffic, I am thinking of taking the Belt Pkwy instead. Any advice on which would be the better route would be much appreciated.

 

You are coming into NYC generally on a Saturday unless there is a game at Shea, the LIE directly to the BQE west to Brooklyn(Atlantic Avenue exit) will be the fastest. less trucks on Saturday. Belt gets back up badly during the week too. I drove in yesterday at about 4 pm from the Sagitos(from sunken meadow) took Grand central and drove the speed limit(and a little more) all the way to the LIE and got off and took the streets to right by the cruise terminal- you really don't want to do that but yesterday was one of the worst traffic days I have seen. In fact the Yankee games announcers were commenting on how bad it was.

It took 90 minutes. going out yesterday in the Am leaving at 9:30 it took exactly one hour....

[westview1]

Thanks everyone! I was unaware of the construction on the Belt. I think I will end up with taking the LIE to the BQE but be ready to switch to the Belt if necessary. I'll just have the radio and the GPS on. Good point about the Mets-this Met fan didn't think about that.

[smeyer418]

Thanks everyone! I was unaware of the construction on the Belt. I think I will end up with taking the LIE to the BQE but be ready to switch to the Belt if necessary. I'll just have the radio and the GPS on. Good point about the Mets-this Met fan didn't think about that.

since most of the games are in the evening, or even in the PM you really shouldn't have a problem with Citifield as long as you plan to be at the terminal before noon.