goodnightjohnwayne wrote:
What about the other costs associated with driving into Manhattan, such as thruway/bridge/tunnel tolls, depending on the route? What about the expense of paying for parking in Manhattan? What about the time lost to rush hour traffic?
easy solution to all those issues..NEVER drive all the way to New York City!
I have lived in the Southern Tier, Capital District, Hudson Valley or Western NY my entire life..
so I have lived all over the state..Waverly, Corning, Albany, New Paltz and Rochester..
I have been to New York City dozens of times..I have NEVER once driven my own car there!
From anywhere upstate, the best way to get to NYC is to drive to the Hudson Valley..leave your car at Peekskill
or any other Metro North station, then take the MNCR into the city..quick and easy..
I agree its a nightmare to try to drive into the city..but there is also no reason to do so.
Right now, I would never consider taking Amtrak directly from Rochester to NYC..
driving *close* to the city, then hopping on MNCR, is quicker and cheaper than taking Amtrak the whole route.
and not having to deal with your car in the city is a blessing..of course, there is no real need for a car in the city anyway.
Lets see..I can do some basic math right now..
Rochester to Peekskill (one way) = 5 hour drive, ~$30 in gas, no tolls. (route 17)
MNCR Peekskill to Grand Central = 1 hour and $16.
total = 6 hours and $50
Amtrak Rochester to Penn Station = 8 hours and $76
(the schedule says 7 hours 17 min, but lets be realistic and say 8 hours..we know they wont be on time.)
So right now, driving to the MEtro North is quicker, cheaper, and much less of a hassle..
it wins all around..(unless maybe if you are a family of 4 with a ton of luggage..but I always "travel light")
High Speed Rail, if it is ever built, will likely be
quicker than my "Drive to Metro North" system..
but it certainty wont be cheaper..
Scot