Best way from Williamsburg Bridge to Holland Tunnel and back

[lilbluefoxie]

What is the best way to drive thru Manhattan and go from the Williamsburg Bridge to the Holland Tunnel? and the best way for the return trip.

 

I can seriously do without the "why don't you take the train and bus instead suggestions" The destination is off I-78 and is not something near any mass transit and I have to carry stuff in the trunk that would be too difficult to schlep on and off trains and buses. 

 

On a map I saw Delancy St then left onto Lafayette St at Petrino Square, then right onto Broome St then onto the Holland Tunnel. Is this way likely to be congested on a weekday midday, after the AM rush. Anyone got a faster route? Would going up the George Washington bridge and then down the NJ Turnpike to Exit 14 be any better?

[peacemak3r]

Well from Williamsburg Bridge to Holland tunnel, there is only really one way to get there.  No tricks or shortcuts would really save time to my experiences.

 

Most of the time no matter what time of the day, the entrance to Holland would be packed as well to my experiences unless it's like 2-5AM.

 

Also if you do plan to leave in the AM rush don't take the GWB at all, both directions would be packed.  But if you go afternoon, it shouldn't be that bad on the GWB.  But to my opinion it should be the same with the Holland, just GWB has more lanes to offer.

 

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Coming back is the same, if you take Holland, get off to Walker Street then to Manhattan bridge then BQE up or just make a left on Centre to Kenmare St/Delancey Street.

 

If coming back and it's in the AM rush, personally I'd avoid GWB.

[lilbluefoxie]

Lets say its a 11AM on a Friday, should I expect traffic on Delancy or the Williamsburg Bridge? Also the right turn onto Broome, is that one likely to be a tough turn with all the pedestrian traffic?

[peacemak3r]

Any traffic on Friday is pretty much the same.  But you should be fine at 11AM.

 

Williamsburg bridge should be painless heading into Manhattan at that hour, but I haven't been on that bridge during the day time in months.

​Delancey is a bit more hectic because of pedestrian traffic and people not knowing which lane does what.

 

The turn on Broome is fine as most of the time the traffic is moving.  But when you near the bridge, watch out for the boxes on the intersection as the cops love to hover around there frequently.

 

Also, at this point any news radio with traffic are your best friends on the road dealing with Manhattan.

[lilbluefoxie]

I might just take the George Washington bridge instead and not have to deal with the local manhattan streets.

[qjtransitmaster]

 

I might just take the George Washington bridge instead and not have to deal with the local manhattan streets.

Actually there is a shortcut try back roads in brooklyn to reach 3rd ave. I'd use ashland place from park ave then 1 min lafayette ave to 2nd/nevins ave then back to 3rd ave Gowanus via SIE then use WSE to rte 440 to I-287 then I-78.

[lilbluefoxie]

Actually there is a shortcut try back roads in brooklyn to reach 3rd ave. I'd use ashland place from park ave then 1 min lafayette ave to 2nd/nevins ave then back to 3rd ave Gowanus via SIE then use WSE to rte 440 to I-287 then I-78.

 

if I was going to go that way, I could just take the Belt Parkway to the Verezano. The time I would be heading out there wont be much traffic.

[Gorgor]

Weird, I swear I replied to this topic hours ago but I don't see my post...

 

Anyways, I would do anything to avoid local streets in Manhattan around that area.  I've gone to the Holland Tunnel from the Upper East Side a few times on Friday mornings.  I would take the FDR all the way down, loop up to the West Side Highway, right onto Canal, and left right into the tunnel and I'd be in Jersey less than 20 minutes after I pulled out of the garage.

 

I don't know how traffic on the BQE or Brooklyn Bridge would be at the time, but if I were you I would take the BQE into the Brooklyn Bridge, get the downtown FDR and take the tunnel through to the West Side Highway.  It's much less direct than local streets between the Williamsburg and the Holland, but you won't have to deal with any traffic in Manhattan this way. 

 

Even if you had to take the Williamsburg, I would still say take the first right you could, right onto Houston, and get the downtown FDR from there.  That might not save you much time (if any), but it sure beats sitting in traffic.

[lilbluefoxie]

Weird, I swear I replied to this topic hours ago but I don't see my post...

 

Anyways, I would do anything to avoid local streets in Manhattan around that area.  I've gone to the Holland Tunnel from the Upper East Side a few times on Friday mornings.  I would take the FDR all the way down, loop up to the West Side Highway, right onto Canal, and left right into the tunnel and I'd be in Jersey less than 20 minutes after I pulled out of the garage.

 

I don't know how traffic on the BQE or Brooklyn Bridge would be at the time, but if I were you I would take the BQE into the Brooklyn Bridge, get the downtown FDR and take the tunnel through to the West Side Highway.  It's much less direct than local streets between the Williamsburg and the Holland, but you won't have to deal with any traffic in Manhattan this way. 

 

Even if you had to take the Williamsburg, I would still say take the first right you could, right onto Houston, and get the downtown FDR from there.  That might not save you much time (if any), but it sure beats sitting in traffic.

 

The time of day I would be in that area would be around 11am, if that makes a difference as far as traffic. Im not sold on one particular bridge over another of the 3 down there, I had picked the Wiliamsburg Bridge because of the direct ramp from the BQE, but I can take the Brooklyn bridge instead if you think it would work better.

[Gorgor]

The time of day I would be in that area would be around 11am, if that makes a difference as far as traffic. Im not sold on one particular bridge over another of the 3 down there, I had picked the Wiliamsburg Bridge because of the direct ramp from the BQE, but I can take the Brooklyn bridge instead if you think it would work better.

 

I don't know how traffic is in Brooklyn, so I can't say whether or not the BQE or getting to the bridges from the BQE will have traffic.

 

I would just do anything to avoid Manhattan local streets though.  Even though you may actually not save much time back tracking from whichever bridge to the FDR and looping around to the West Side, you'll definitely not be sitting in any traffic once you're on the FDR.

 

You may get to an average speed of 10mph (counting time sitting at red lights) across if you choose local streets if you're lucky, but you should be able to do 60mph on the FDR and then an average of maybe 25-30mph (counting red lights) on the West Side.

 

Basically you're looking at taking a direct route and no doubt having to deal with traffic, or driving a few miles out of your way but avoiding traffic.  They may both take the same amount of time, just whichever you'd prefer.

[lilbluefoxie]

I don't know how traffic is in Brooklyn, so I can't say whether or not the BQE or getting to the bridges from the BQE will have traffic.

 

I would just do anything to avoid Manhattan local streets though.  Even though you may actually not save much time back tracking from whichever bridge to the FDR and looping around to the West Side, you'll definitely not be sitting in any traffic once you're on the FDR.

 

You may get to an average speed of 10mph (counting time sitting at red lights) across if you choose local streets if you're lucky, but you should be able to do 60mph on the FDR and then an average of maybe 25-30mph (counting red lights) on the West Side.

 

Basically you're looking at taking a direct route and no doubt having to deal with traffic, or driving a few miles out of your way but avoiding traffic.  They may both take the same amount of time, just whichever you'd prefer.

 

my other alternative is going up the Throggs Neck Bridge to I-95 and heading across the George Washington bridge and taking I-80 in New Jersey and then down I-287 to I-78.

[qjtransitmaster]

 

my other alternative is going up the Throggs Neck Bridge to I-95 and heading across the George Washington bridge and taking I-80 in New Jersey and then down I-287 to I-78.

That is EVEN WORSE!!!! You know what just use the BELT OR BQE BQE at 11am is fine then brooklyn bridge through worth to church st then canal it is not so bad that time.

[Gorgor]

my other alternative is going up the Throggs Neck Bridge to I-95 and heading across the George Washington bridge and taking I-80 in New Jersey and then down I-287 to I-78.

 

Where are you coming from?  If you're coming from out in Long Island then I would definitely avoid Manhattan at all costs.

[lilbluefoxie]

Where are you coming from?  If you're coming from out in Long Island then I would definitely avoid Manhattan at all costs.

 

I live on Long Island

[qjtransitmaster]

I live on Long Island

You really think I-95 is better?

[lilbluefoxie]

You really think I-95 is better?

 

it depends on the time, theres times I've gotten thru the Cross Bronx with minimal delay. You go in the morning on the weekend you wont have any issues with traffic unless theres an accident. Ive taken the Cross Bronx to the Bronx River Parkway and the delays are mostly from the service road where you gotta go a few blocks before you can get to the onramp to the Bronx River Parkway.

 

Then on those same days Im coming back from Westcheter and all the traffic is heading northbound, all the people that slept late and now wanna go out.

[N6 Limited]

 

 

You really think I-95 is better?

 

The Cross Bronx is usually backed up going west ("south") all day, but when there is no traffic you can get from the Throgs Neck Br to the GWB in like 10 mins.  

 

 

I'd suggest using Google Maps Traffic that morning to see which route is the best way as traffic is dynamic.  I observed traffic around 11:30am today, if you were leaving around this time you could observe the following:

 

- Belt Parkway and SIE are Clear.

- LIE in Fresh Meadows area is backed up, so you'd want to take the GCP to the LIE as a bypass.

- The BQE is a lil slow from the LIE ramp over the Kos. bridge, and the Williamsburg Br is a little heavy getting off at Delancy St.

- I-95 south is slow from the GWB Bridge to Parkchester.

- The Major Deegan north is backed up from Yankee Stadium to I-95, if you were coming from the Triboro, you'd want to take the Harlem River Drive instead.

 

There are times where I'm going to go somewhere and I just wait until traffic dies down. If its Red or checkered and it turns yellow, you can assume it would clear up by the time you get there. Especially helpful leaving work before a holiday weekend. Traffic starts building up around 3pm, I see if it's worth sitting in traffic, staying at work, stopping to go to the gym or go get something to eat, etc.

[N6 Limited]

how did it go?

[lilbluefoxie]

how did it go?

 

this thing isn't for a few months.

[N6 Limited]

Oh ok, well the traffic is going to get worse as the weather gets nicer.