Recently, I’ve had to drive a fair bit from Albany to Queens and back on the weekends.
As Labor Day approaches, I thought I’d share my findings in terms of cost-time ratio.
(Scroll below for a comprehensive list of all NYC bridges and tunnels and their respective tolls.)
My usual route, costing a total $31.37 round-trip, is as follows:
- Exit 24 I-90 Albany to exit 15 NJ Route 17 south – $5.27
- Route 17 south to Route 4 east – free
- Cross the George Washington Bridge eastbound to Manhattan – $9.75 (off-peak, westbound free)
- Head on US 1 east/I-95 north, crossing the Alexander Hamilton Bridge to the Bronx – free
- Cross respectively Whitestone Bridge (I-678) or Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295) to Queens – $5.54
In an effort to reduce costs to $14.98 round-trip, I tried the following:
- Exit 24 I-90 Albany to exit B2 Taconic Parkway – $1.95
- Head south on a capricious combination of Taconic Parkway – I-87 – Sprain Brook Parkway – Cross County Parkway – Bronx River Parkway – Cross Bronx Parkway (I-95 north) – free
- Cross respectively Whitestone Bridge or Throgs Neck Bridge to Queens – $5.54
I obtained a saving of over 50%. Yet, the driving time also increased by nearly an hour – it’s rather more difficult to speed along the winding roads of Taconic Parkway with posted limits of 55mph.
I did a little research and two other choices presented themselves:
A. $26.37 round-trip
- Exit 24 I-90 Albany to exit 7A Taconic State Parkway – $5.27
- (Tappan Zee Bridge southbound is additional $4.75, northbound free)
- Cross respectively Whitestone Bridge or Throgs Neck Bridge to Queens – $5.54
B. $21.46 round-trip
- Exit 24 I-90 Albany to exit 17 Scranton I-84 – $3.94
- Head east across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to Taconic State Parkway – $1.25
- Cross respectively Whitestone Bridge or Throgs Neck Bridge to Queens – $5.54
Use the list below to get started on figuring out the cheapest, most time-efficient route for you.
Bridges and tunnels listed clock-wise around NYC, starting with Holland Tunnel at the southwest corner.
Have fun calculating!
NJ – Manhattan
Eastbound: $9.75 (off-peak) and $11.75 (peak) / Westbound: Free
(Increasing to $10.50/12.50 Dec 6, 2015)
Holland Tunnel (I-78, Canal St)
Lincoln Tunnel (I-495, 34th St)
George Washington Bridge (I-95/Rt 9, 178th St)
Bronx – Manhattan
All free except Henry Hudson, which is $2.54 both ways
Henry Hudson Bridge (Henry Hudson Parkway/Rt 9A)
Broadway Bridge (Rt 9)
University Heights Bridge
Washington Bridge
Alexander Hamilton Bridge (I-95/Rt 9)
Macomb’s Dam Bridge
145th Street Bridge
Madison Ave Bridge
Third Ave Bridge
Willis Ave Bridge
Bronx – Queens
Whitestone Bridge (I-678) – $5.54 both ways
Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295) – $5.54 both ways
Manhattan – Queens
RFK Bridges (I-278) – $5.54 both ways
Queens Midtown Tunnel (I-495, 35th St) – $5.54 both ways
Queensboro Bridge – (Rt 25, 60th St via Randall Island) – free
Manhattan – Brooklyn
Williamsburg Bridge (Delancey St) – free
Manhattan Bridge (Canal St and Bowery St) – free
Brooklyn Bridge (Park Row) – free
Hugh L Carey Tunnel (Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) – $5.54 both ways
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