As NYC is not the most amenable place for driving, this is a guide to driving alternatives in and around the city, with helpful links to more resources.
New York City, most people would agree, is not the easiest or most amenable place to drive. While it may seem to be a hassle that traffic in the Big Apple is congested and parking is often prohibitively expensive, a not-insignificant perk of living in, working in, or simply visiting New York City, of course, is that one does not need to drive. Between the MTA subway and bus system, the prevalence of taxis, alternative forms of transportation such as biking, and the various railway systems that connect to NYC, there are a plethora of possibilities for getting around.
Resources for Commuting and Public Transit In and Around NYC
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There is also a wealth of information out there about getting around in NYC, as well as on getting to the city. The Manhattan Commuting Guide contains information on trains, bridges & tunnels, parking, bicycling, buses, the MTA, ferries, taxis, and more. Another general website about transportation in and around NYC is the NYC Travel and Transportation Guide, which offers helpful links on transit options, from airport information to information on cruises and ferries. And of course, Google Maps is a great resource that helps users map out their trips through NYC using public transport.
Trip Planners: Hopstop.com, MTA and Transportation Alternatives
To further help plan one’s trip, Hopstop.com is a website that helps users determine travel times and routes for both driving and public transport. Incidentally, the website also offers specific directions and estimated travel time for other major cities. In terms of websites that provide resources for transit within the city, there are Transportation Alternatives, which encourages walking, biking, and public transit. This article would be remiss to not include the Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA, which provides information on NYC subways and buses, as well as the Metro-North and Long Island Railroad. The MTA Trip Planner page is also helpful in planning one’s trip and route.
Commuting: New Jersey and Beyond
Finally, there are also resources out there about commuting to the city. The New Jersey Transit page offers helpful travel resources. Another New Jersey site is New Jersey Commute, whose slogan is“Understanding the present and seeing transportation’s future in New York City and New Jersey.” A more broad commuter website is CommuterLink, which advertises “The easy way to work: Carpool, Vanpool, Transit, Walk, Bike, Telecommute.”
Driving!
And, if one must drive, the New York City Department of Transportation is a government website that provides links to transit information as well as traffic and construction websites.
Exploring NYC
There is certainly no dearth of options for transit in and around the city! And all the options make not only getting around NYC accessible but fun. My favorite option is biking, with greenways along the east and west sides of Manhattan and bike lanes throughout NYC and Brooklyn. Taxis and the subway system are convenient, easily accessible, and oh-so-helpful! So go out and explore the city.