Rest Stops going to Cape Liberty from LI

[mking8288]

Question for OP, are you looking for a "rest stop" with bathroom facilities or just a parking area, easy-off and easy-on again or something else, i.e. fuel and gas, etc. 

 

There are number of places near/around JFK on the Belt Parkway, Gateway Center - Plaza that's just pass the Cross Bay Blvd/Howard Beach exit and also a (Mobil) small gas station in the middle island near Flatbush Avenue exit. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by mking8288

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Question for OP, are you looking for a "rest stop" with bathroom facilities or just a parking area, easy-off and easy-on again or something else, i.e. fuel and gas, etc. 

 

There are number of places near/around JFK on the Belt Parkway, Gateway Center - Plaza that's just pass the Cross Bay Blvd/Howard Beach exit and also a (Mobil) small gas station in the middle island near Flatbush Avenue exit. 

The only place that I personally would feel okay stopping in would be in the shopping area near Bay Parkway..I have never gone into a gas station bathroom I also looked for a fast food restaurant that had a bathroom.

[hazeleyes46]

We come from Ronkonkoma and it usually takes us an hour and a half on Sunday mornings.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, hazeleyes46 said:

We come from Ronkonkoma and it usually takes us an hour and a half on Sunday mornings.

Are you exceeding the speed limit ? We could not possibly get from Ronkonkoma to Bayonne in less than 2 1/2 hours

[njhorseman]

5 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Are you exceeding the speed limit ? We could not possibly get from Ronkonkoma to Bayonne in less than 2 1/2 hours

Right now, mid day on Friday, Google Maps is showing the trip from Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty at 2 hours 2 minutes. Absent traffic jams due to construction or accidents, it surely will be less than 2 hours on a Sunday morning without exceeding the speed limit...and for a short time I lived in Lake Ronkonkoma so I have at least some knowledge of the roads .

Edited March 10, 2023 by njhorseman

[lenquixote66]

Just now, njhorseman said:

Right now, mid day on Friday, Google Maps is showing the trip from Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty at 2 hours 2 minutes. Absent traffic jams due to construction or accidents, it surely will be less than 2 hours on a Sunday morning without exceeding the speed limit.

Driving from where I live to Ronkonkoma on a Sunday morning,a trip that we have done numerous times is an hour without traffic.However,regardless of the day there is always traffic on the Southern State Parkway

From my residence to Cape Liberty is always more than an hour.It involves taking the Southern StatevParkway,Belt Parkway,Verrazano Bridge,Staten Island Expressway and the Bayonne Bridge. There is always traffic from and to JFK and traffic from and to Newark airport .

Virtually impossible to go from Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty in 90 minutes .

[njhorseman]

28 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Driving from where I live to Ronkonkoma on a Sunday morning,a trip that we have done numerous times is an hour without traffic.However,regardless of the day there is always traffic on the Southern State Parkway

From my residence to Cape Liberty is always more than an hour.It involves taking the Southern StatevParkway,Belt Parkway,Verrazano Bridge,Staten Island Expressway and the Bayonne Bridge. There is always traffic from and to JFK and traffic from and to Newark airport .

Virtually impossible to go from Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty in 90 minutes .

The best route from Long Island to Cape Liberty might very well exclude the Southern State and Belt Parkways. As I write this using the Southern State/Belt is taking longer than using the LIE, and that isn't uncommon because the drive using the Southern State/Belt is about 12 miles longer than if you were to use the LIE.

The point is that you can't just blindly use a particular route . You have to  look at the travel times using apps like Google Maps or Waze . I've driven an  innumerable number of times between NJ  and that area of Long Island in both directions for more about 55 years and you just have to pay attention and change your route to do the drive as quickly as possible.  Under typical conditions other than driving at say  3am,   Sunday mornings usually have the lightest traffic. If you can make the drive in 2 hours at 2:30pm on a Friday, under 2 hours is more than possible on Sunday mornings.

Edited March 10, 2023 by njhorseman

[lenquixote66]

25 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

The best route from Long Island to Cape Liberty might very well exclude the Southern State and Belt Parkways. As I write this using the Southern State/Belt is taking longer than using the LIE, and that isn't uncommon because the drive using the Southern State/Belt is about 12 miles longer than if you were to use the LIE.

The point is that you can't just blindly use a particular route . You have to  look at the travel times using apps like Google Maps or Waze . I've driven an  innumerable number of times between NJ  and that area of Long Island in both directions for more about 55 years and you just have to pay attention and change your route to do the drive as quickly as possible.  Under typical conditions other than driving at say  3am,   Sunday mornings usually have the lightest traffic. If you can make the drive in 2 hours at 2:30pm on a Friday, under 2 hours is more than possible on Sunday mornings.

I do not wish to debate this with you ,however,we have 3 friends who have lived in Plainview since 1967 and never once have they driven to the NJ cruiseport  with the LIE. I texted all three after reading your post.

I live on the south shore of LI and we have only driven to the cruise port with the Southern State.

 

[mking8288]

Posted speed limit on stretches of the Belt Parkway is anywhere from 40 to 50 mph, signage far & few in between - most drivers drving off-peak routinely ignore and drive above the speed limit, regardless of speed enforcement by NYPD Highway Patrol & occassionally, NYSP marked RMP.  Weekend mornings, it is not uncommon for packs of vehicles to travel well above the safe & legal speed limit ... ditto for the SSP, not that this is endorsing reckless driving and breaking the posted speed limit.  

 

LIE on weekend mornings, especially before 9 or 10 am, it's the same from points east to the Nassau/Queens county line - cars routinely go well above the posted 55 MPH speed limit, plus the HOV-2 lane ... not available on the SSP & Belt Pkwy.  It does make a difference in choosing the "best" and/or "faster" routine to Cape Liberty - aided by Waze or Google Map using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay in vehicles equipped.  

 

Weather, lane closure, construction zones, accidents and detours, etc. obviously will and do wreck optimal time to get to cruise port(s).  

[njhorseman]

10:35am Saturday. Per Google Maps best driving time Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty 1 hour 33 minutes via LIE, Cross Island Pkwy, Cross Bronx Expressway, GW Bridge, NJ Turnpike, etc. 1 hour 33 minutes  is close enough to @hazeleyes46's 1 1/2 hours in my book.

 

Southern State, Belt not among the best routes right now....1 hour 54 minutes via that route.

 

 

[1025cruise]

My information is dated, and pre-GPS, but if I were on LI heading to NJ, I probably would have done Southern to the Belt, over the Verrazano, and then pick a bridge based on whether or not I was heading north or south.

[lenquixote66]

27 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

My information is dated, and pre-GPS, but if I were on LI heading to NJ, I probably would have done Southern to the Belt, over the Verrazano, and then pick a bridge based on whether or not I was heading north or south.

 

27 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

My information is dated, and pre-GPS, but if I were on LI heading to NJ, I probably would have done Southern to the Belt, over the Verrazano, and then pick a bridge based on whether or not I was heading north or south.

That is the way that everyone I know living on LI travels to NJ .

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Use the restroom before you leave home and when you get to the port? 2 hours is not that long.

[lenquixote66]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:16 PM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Use the restroom before you leave home and when you get to the port? 2 hours is not that long.

Two hours is not that long but some people have urinary issues 

[hazeleyes46]

On 3/10/2023 at 2:06 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Are you exceeding the speed limit ? We could not possibly get from Ronkonkoma to Bayonne in less than 2 1/2 hours

No lol. At 8am on a Sunday the roads are empty.

[hazeleyes46]

On 3/10/2023 at 2:19 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Driving from where I live to Ronkonkoma on a Sunday morning,a trip that we have done numerous times is an hour without traffic.However,regardless of the day there is always traffic on the Southern State Parkway

From my residence to Cape Liberty is always more than an hour.It involves taking the Southern StatevParkway,Belt Parkway,Verrazano Bridge,Staten Island Expressway and the Bayonne Bridge. There is always traffic from and to JFK and traffic from and to Newark airport .

Virtually impossible to go from Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty in 90 minutes .

Well I can tell you in 2018, when we went on the Anthem in June, we left at 8am and got there at 9:30 because I remember parking in the garage and we were early. By the time we sat down it was 10am and they let us onboard at 11:30. 

[hazeleyes46]

On 3/11/2023 at 10:48 AM, njhorseman said:

10:35am Saturday. Per Google Maps best driving time Ronkonkoma to Cape Liberty 1 hour 33 minutes via LIE, Cross Island Pkwy, Cross Bronx Expressway, GW Bridge, NJ Turnpike, etc. 1 hour 33 minutes  is close enough to @hazeleyes46's 1 1/2 hours in my book.

 

Southern State, Belt not among the best routes right now....1 hour 54 minutes via that route.

 

 

Right now, 10am Tuesday morning, I just looked from my house and it says 1 hour and 35 minutes.

[styme123]

54 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Well I can tell you in 2018, when we went on the Anthem in June, we left at 8am and got there at 9:30 because I remember parking in the garage and we were early. By the time we sat down it was 10am and they let us onboard at 11:30. 

I got off Anthem about 2 weeks ago and from my house in Nassau county it was 45-50 minutes to Cape Liberty on Sunday morning at 9:00. Used Waze.   

[mking8288]

Waze is now part of Google Map for real-time GPS navigational purposes - here in NYC, its AI benefiting from access to DOT's traffic management & signals ... new vehicles using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, making it much easier to get around vs. old school mindset.  

 

From NE Queens to points south in NJ, Cross Island/Belt Pkwy is sometimes slower than the LIE to BQE thru Brooklyn, other times it's over the T.Neck or Whitestone Bridge over to I-95, across the Bronx & upper Manhattan across the GW Bridge and then catching the NJ Turnpike - it might cost more in tolls paid but saving 30 minutes is worth it. 

[hazeleyes46]

36 minutes ago, styme123 said:

I got off Anthem about 2 weeks ago and from my house in Nassau county it was 45-50 minutes to Cape Liberty on Sunday morning at 9:00. Used Waze.   

Not bad at all. We are actually going to meet another couple in Nassau county this time and trying to figure out when we should leave their house if we can get the earliest check in time. We were thinking like 8:30am to get there about 10.

[styme123]

4 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

From NE Queens to points south in NJ, Cross Island/Belt Pkwy is sometimes slower than the LIE to BQE thru Brooklyn, other times it's over the T.Neck or Whitestone Bridge over to I-95, across the Bronx & upper Manhattan across the GW Bridge and then catching the NJ Turnpike - it might cost more in tolls paid but saving 30 minutes is worth it. 

I took the Williamsburg bridge when I went and through Holland I believe. Sunday morning no problem. during the week that would have been a different story.

 

[styme123]

5 minutes ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Not bad at all. We are actually going to meet another couple in Nassau county this time and trying to figure out when we should leave their house if we can get the earliest check in time. We were thinking like 8:30am to get there about 10.

Yeah that should be fine we left at 9:00 for 10:30 spot. Gave us time to spare. 

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

No lol. At 8am on a Sunday the roads are empty.

I have gone to visit friends living in Plainview early in the morning taking the Southern State to the 135 .The 135 is always empty regardless of the day or time but the Southern State or even Sunrise Highway are always quite crowded.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, styme123 said:

I got off Anthem about 2 weeks ago and from my house in Nassau county it was 45-50 minutes to Cape Liberty on Sunday morning at 9:00. Used Waze.   

Wow ,you probably have a better vehicle than we do or drive a tad faster.

We are on the south shore of Nassau County and always hit traffic on the Belt Parkway.According to Waze it is supposed to be a 57 minute drive but it has been 90 minutes always.

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, hazeleyes46 said:

Well I can tell you in 2018, when we went on the Anthem in June, we left at 8am and got there at 9:30 because I remember parking in the garage and we were early. By the time we sat down it was 10am and they let us onboard at 11:30. 

All of our cruises in which we drove have been between December and February.We only were on one in a June and then we used car service  and that was not to NJ.

Perhaps in the summer it is a faster ride.