I’m driving down to Newark tomorrow for a Global Entry interview with CBP. Seeing as how it’s about 2.5 hours each way from Albany, we’re planning on actually doing something while we’re that far south and were thinking of heading east to Playland. What I can’t decide if it’s better on a Saturday morning (say no later than 9 AM) to use the GWB and take the more direct route on I-95 or if I should backtrack all the way back to the Thruway and then take the Tappan Zee. Traffic aside, I can’t figure out the difference in tolls.
My thought is to backtrack to the Thruway and avoid I-95. Or is there another route I’m missing?
I would take the Thruway. This is based on nothing other than that I live in the Bronx, and when offered a choice between 287 and 95, I will do almost anything to avoid 95.
You are going at a good time of day, like if you had to take 95, that’s a good time to do it – but it’s very hard to predict the traffic on the Cross Bronx, and one glitch will cause a lot of delays at any time of the day.
I do not drive on the Garden State very much, which is what I assume you’d take from Newark to the Thruway, so you might want to get another opinion on that leg.
I would go ahead and take 95. Check the traffic first though. the Tappan Zee is a huge detour from Newark (you’d need to go further into NJ to get to the Garden st parkway). I use it only if there’s a total disaster at the GWB. I usually listen to CBS 880 am (‘traffic on the 8s’) or 1010 WINS (traffic on the 11s). The Cross-Bronx = 95 and if they don’t mention the GWB on the traffic reports that usually means it’s in good shape.