NY and NJ Folks...Best way into JFK Airport with horse trailer?

[Daydream Believer]

I am headed out in the morning to move three horses that have been in quarantine on our farm to JFK Int'l Airport headed for Switzerland as their final destination. Google Earth wants to send me I95 to I278 to the Belt Parkway and into JFK that way. I realize there is a tunnel/bridge across the Hudson River there.

Is that an unrestricted route for a large horse trailer? I have a 28 foot trailer. We can't find anything except that we'll have to go on the top level or something like that. I know there are some ways you can't go with a larger rig and was hoping COTHers could supply a definitive answer.

I am coming up across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel from Norfolk, across the Outer Shore thru Delaware and then up the NJ Turnpike merging into I95. I'm on a route I already know until it routes me to I278 and then to the Belt Parkway.

Thanks for any and all advice!

[Alagirl]

have you tried map quest? or the rand mcnally trip planner?

[LexInVA]

Talk to the shipping folks. You will more than likely be required to follow a specific route into the airport, much like trucks hauling freight do, to drop off the horses.

[Daydream Believer]

have you tried map quest? or the rand mcnally trip planner?

No...do they list restrictions on certain roads or tunnels? I've never seen one yet that asks if you are pulling an RV or Horse trailer...or even a trucker site.

[Alagirl]

well, I never had that problem, but it gives you alternative routes! several computers ago I had the trip planner installed but I think it's now internet based...

[Daydream Believer]

Unfortunately all they ask is if you are in a car, public transit or walking (that one seems odd) and another asks if you want to avoid tolls or highways...kind of hard to do going thru Jersey and NY unless you want to really go 4 wheeling!

I know in the past some folks from New England have been helpful when hauling up that way. Hopefully someone from around there will see this and know the answer.

[TBLover]

Belt Parkway is definitely cars only, no trucks. (Generally any road designated "parkway" in NY is that way). Let me ask around what best way would be coming with truck.

[TBLover]

After looking at the map, I think the best way for you to approach JFK is by taking 678 (Van Wyck Expressway). Coming from the south, you can either go through the city (Lincoln Tunnel) to 495 (Long Island Expressway) or go slightly further north, and stay on 95 till the GW bridge, then then pick up 678 by taking the Whitestone bridge. These are both kind of round-about ways to get to JFK, but since the Belt is car only, really probably the best options for you unless you want to drive through the streets of Brooklyn, which might be more confusing for you.

[joiedevie99]

After looking at the map, I think the best way for you to approach JFK is by taking 678 (Van Wyck Expressway). Coming from the south, you can either go through the city (Lincoln Tunnel) to 495 (Long Island Expressway) or go slightly further north, and stay on 95 till the GW bridge, then then pick up 678 by taking the Whitestone bridge. These are both kind of round-about ways to get to JFK, but since the Belt is car only, really probably the best options for you unless you want to drive through the streets of Brooklyn, which might be more confusing for you.

That's definitely correct. If you take 278, you can't get on any highway upon hitting Brooklyn because the only option is the Belt. You would have to take city streets all the way from there. The next option crossing north is the Holland tunnel/78, which you cannot take a trailer in. You can take a trailer in the Lincoln tunnel, but will have to take city streets across Manhattan. On the other side, in a car I would take the midtown tunnel, but I'm not sure if you can do that or not.

The easiest option is to go up to the George Washington Bridge, and take that to the Whitestone, and follow that down to the airport.

[Daydream Believer]

Whoops...that would be a mess. I will get back to my maps and thanks!

[Daydream Believer]

Ok...so let me make sure I understand you all...stay on I95 and cross that bridge. Then 678 South right to JFK. Doesn't look too bad on a map.

What is the traffic going to be like tomorrow afternoon? I hope not too bad on a Sunday. My plan is to drop off the horses at the vetport and then drive out of the NYC area, find a truck stop and probably just sleep a few hours in my Living Quarters. Truckers sleep over in those places all the time as do RV's so I should be OK. I will have heat, lights, and can cook dinner OK.

I am sure glad I asked on this forum. You all are GREAT! I would have been so ticked off to get all the way to that bridge and get turned around...or get a nasty fine/ticket.

[pines4equines]

All I can say is THANK GOD you don't have to do this during rush hour or during the week. Ugh! And, good luck! Use your blinkers like mad. Those folks down there are maniacs! Passing on the right is the norm! I use to drive into the city every day...UGH!

[marta]

or a parkway.
first, in nj, portions of garden state parkway are open to truck traffic. second, it's only commercial truck traffic that's restricted on the garden state parkway.

re belt expressway - i never realized the belt expressway had any restrictions on it. i've taken it in the past and there were trucks on it. i'm pretty sure trucks are in fact allowed.
if you can confirm that then just follow your directions over the verrazano bridge to the belt and take it to JFK. that's the 'fastest' way although there really isn't such a thing as a fast way of gettting to JFK.

[Daydream Believer]

All I can say is THANK GOD you don't have to do this during rush hour or during the week. Ugh! And, good luck! Use your blinkers like mad. Those folks down there are maniacs! Passing on the right is the norm! I use to drive into the city every day...UGH!

I purposely timed this trip to fall on a Sunday! I HATE traffic with a passion. I will us blinkers and I am pulling a very big trailer..so hopefully the cars will at least see me OK.

You are from Goshen? That is a nice horse area isn't it?

BTW...this is my FIRST trip into NYC in my life. :winkgrin: I have driven by it a couple of times but never into it. I wish I could stay and visit with you all but I have a mare who is going to foal any time now and need to turn and run for home.

[TBLover]

Although definitely better than a weekday, be prepared for Sunday afternoon traffic, particularly the closer you get to NY on 95 and the GW. This has been the first really summer-like weekend here in NY, and that means lots of folks leave the city for the weekend and then come back home in the afternoon/early evening, leading to a fair amount of traffic over the GW, so be sure to factor that into your plans. Basically the earlier in the afternoon you can hit this area, the better!

[Daydream Believer]

or a parkway.
first, in nj, portions of garden state parkway are open to truck traffic. second, it's only commercial truck traffic that's restricted on the garden state parkway.

re belt expressway - i never realized the belt expressway had any restrictions on it. i've taken it in the past and there were trucks on it. i'm pretty sure trucks are in fact allowed.
if you can confirm that then just follow your directions over the verrazano bridge to the belt and take it to JFK. that's the 'fastest' way although there really isn't such a thing as a fast way of gettting to JFK.

marta,

Thanks. After someone posted that about the Parkways, I googled Parkway restrictions in NY and they were right. Belt was clearly listed as restricted. Such a bummer...but I am way too big to be missed if someone is giving tickets.

[Daydream Believer]

Although definitely better than a weekday, be prepared for Sunday afternoon traffic, particularly the closer you get to NY on 95 and the GW. This has been the first really summer-like weekend here in NY, and that means lots of folks leave the city for the weekend and then come back home in the afternoon/early evening, leading to a fair amount of traffic over the GW, so be sure to factor that into your plans. Basically the earlier in the afternoon you can hit this area, the better!

Thanks! I was a bit afraid of that. I am leaving here with the first light of dawn...around 6:30 a.m or so and my directions say 8 hours which means more like 10 pulling a trailer. So that puts me there about 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon...probably not good...UGH...

I guess I'll just have to be patient if I hit traffic. :sigh:

[pines4equines]

Daydream Believer said: "You are from Goshen? That is a nice horse area isn't it?"

Huge horsey! We used to be big Standardbred breeding and racing. Then when that law in 1986 passed not allowing horses as a tax deduction. That faction of horses totally died in about a year! Now that's all coming back due to Racinos at Yonkers (Yonk-giss, if you're local) and Monticello.

In fact, Goshen is home to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame and the nation's oldest race track which happens to be Standardbreds.

But we also have huge riding horse and just lately, we've become inundated with Reiners? Who knew? Dressage is big here too. We're near Saugerties where HITS is so that's part of it too.

Thanks for asking!

[Daydream Believer]

I actually was in Goshen some years ago (around 1998) looking for potential rental properties when we thought my husband was going to be assigned to West Point as an instructor. His orders were changed and we ended up at Ft. Drum NY in the snow belt but that weekend spent at West Point and that area was a lot of fun. Nice area!

[pines4equines]

Cool! West Point has a huge horse program for their cadets!

[nevertoolate]

Are there any ball games tomorrow afternoon which might effect traffic? I think the Yankees are away but the Mets are home...not sure what kind of impact that might have on traffic going to JFK. Just another thing to think of - from someone who has been stuck before in post game gridlock.

[Androcles]

Although definitely better than a weekday, be prepared for Sunday afternoon traffic, particularly the closer you get to NY on 95 and the GW. This has been the first really summer-like weekend here in NY, and that means lots of folks leave the city for the weekend and then come back home in the afternoon/early evening, leading to a fair amount of traffic over the GW, so be sure to factor that into your plans. Basically the earlier in the afternoon you can hit this area, the better!

And if there is a baseball game at either Yankee Stadium or the Mets (Citifield, UGH :no: ) plan for even more traffic. I would add two hours on top of the expected route for traffic. And it's going to be 92 degrees tomorrow.

[Daydream Believer]

OH God...I don't even want to think of a ball game too. I am getting up at 5 am and loading up and going. I hope I can beat the mess in an out.

Please send jingles for a smooth trip and the ponies to have a safe flight.

[TBLover]

Mets are playing at Citi (Yankees are in Boston). Game time is 1:10, so depending on how long it goes, that definitely might impact your travel time if it lets out as you are traveling through (678 goes right past Citi Field).

Hope you have a good trip and drive safe!

[twofatponies]

Do yourself a favor and take your time. People might honk or pass - ignore them. Be super aware of your exit signs as you reach the GW bridge and after - these are old highways and the signs are sometimes not very far from the exits. The ramps on and off are often much tighter than on a modern interstate, too.

Sorry I don't have any driving direction suggestions. The ones you got are pretty good. Trucks take the upper deck on the bridge as others said. I have a friend I could ask but it's too late to call her.

[Daydream Believer]

Thanks everyone. I will leave early and be prepared for traffic. I don't see how I could get in early enough to avoid any of it and then I have to backtrack to get out of the city. I will just do my best and take my time.

I really appreciate the advice also on the roads. If I can get my Iphone to work tomorrow night, I'll try to post and update all of you. Sometimes I can get on the forums and sometimes I can't...depends.

[Linny]

Aqueduct Race Track is right next to JFK and horses ship there all the time. I'd check with a pro shipping company as to their route. My guess is a call or two might yield results. Start with those that are international as they probably deal with Kennedy. Mersant is one I know that does overseas shipping.
Citi traffic is a pain. I got stuck in it onthe way to Aqueduct a few weeks ago and was growling all through Queens. Oddly enough horse trainers are not uncommon around there because Aqueduct doesn't have a ton of stalls and most of the horses racing there are shipped in from Belmont.

[sopha]

I know this is too late but, you take the Verrazanno to to BQE (which stinks, but there are some lovely views of Manhattan) to the LIE to the Van Wycke. It is a miserable trip that is slow no matter the day or time.

[marta]

tune in to 101.5 for traffic updates, they have them like every 13 minutes or something.

maybe someone else can give you a name of a good radio station with ny traffic, 1010 wins (am) is the only one that comes to my mind.

5 p.m. is going to be bad. that's when everyone heads back to the city after the weekend. just take it easy. be prepared for it. it's giong to be a hot day out there, so maybe you could stop before you hit ny traffic and offer them some water.

lots of luck! stay calm and cool.

[pines4equines]

Does the BQE allow trucks?

[nevertoolate]

How was the trip? Hopefully uneventful...

[Daydream Believer]

Hey all,

I wanted to let you know that I am home safe and sound. It is HOT here...mid 90's. What in the heck happened to SPRING? This is July/Aug weather!!

The trip was very smooth until I got to just outside NYC when I hit traffic before the George Wash. Bridge. That was about 2:30 or 3:00 timeframe. We moved at about 2 mph from there (if that fast) for the next 10 miles or so. At one point, I looked at my truck thermometer and it read 102F!!! I felt horrible for the ponies in the back but there wasn't much to do about it. The windows and vents were open and they had water buckets hanging in their stalls.

I finally got to the airport about 5:30 after 2.5 hours of fighting traffic and then could not figure out my directions. So, two Spanish Mustangs, a Paint, myself and my huge truck and trailer and had a nice tour of all the terminals and the JFK airport. Wow, is that a BIG place. I can only imagine what people were thinking seeing me driving around the terminals. My language had deteriorated badly at this point until I finally happened upon something that seemed familiar from my directions. I managed to finally navigate to the Vetport...a small run down looking building in between all kinds of hangers and warehouses.

The horses unloaded nicely...albeit a little wobbly...particularly Mack...the oldest gelding...and were put in comfortable stalls. I did not linger long but went back in and told the boys to be good and how much I'd miss them (I had them for training and then later for quarantine) and back out into NYC I went. Luckily the return trip was much much better...smooth sailing right out of the city.

I found a truck stop near Trenton, NJ, pulled over, got dinner and sweated in my horse trailer for an hour or two before I could sleep. Wow...it was hot. It was also noisy as the truckers all run their diesels so they have AC...I am not so lucky. Without a generator, I cannot use my AC. Next time, I'll take our generator. Hindsight is 20 20. Thankfully no one bothered me so no need to break out my Pepper Spray...not kidding...I took some!

Got home just a few minutes ago and thought I'd let you all know I'm OK. I will look forward to news from Switzerland and the horses' owners on the gelding's flight. The people there seemed friendly and kind to the horses so I'm sure they are in good hands.

Thanks again for the help from all of you here. I don't think I hit the game traffic but rather just the weekend rush to get back into the city. I remember thinking that I could not imagine having to deal with traffic like that daily. I'd probably self destruct!

[marta]

saturday - it was closed for several hours. 5 people killed (rear ended by a tractor trailer).

[Horse with No Name]

Well done DB, I was wondering how you'd got on.

Where I live I don't have to contend with much in the way of traffic at all, which is lucky as I am just hopeless with directions and in traffic. Even going to a new feed merchant the other day had me in a bit of a tizz and I'm sure the guys in the cruiser I hole-shot at the lights (ooops!) were going to pull me over til they saw the pages of directions in my hands - driver just shook his head and kept on moving :lol:

[Daydream Believer]

saturday - it was closed for several hours. 5 people killed (rear ended by a tractor trailer).

How awful! I sure am glad I missed that! Sunday traffic was BAD enough.

[Linny]

Glad you made it there and back. The highways in NYC can be very tough, esp. for a truck and trailer. There really is no easy way to get there from the south. I'm lucky, when I'm heading to the city I'm coming from north.

The JFK animal shipping crew is very good as they are quite used to handling many types of animals. They handle alot of the racehorses heading overseas.


That is very sad news about the people killed on the expressway.

[Daydream Believer]

I did hear that the horses loaded up well, flew yesterday and are in Amsterdam resting and awaiting the ride to Switzerland. This is actually quite historic...the first two Colonial Spanish horses to arrive in that nation ever. Not sure about the Paint but I suspect they are already there with that breed.

[Cervalo]

I did hear that the horses loaded up well, flew yesterday and are in Amsterdam resting and awaiting the ride to Switzerland. This is actually quite historic...the first two Colonial Spanish horses to arrive in that nation ever. Not sure about the Paint but I suspect they are already there with that breed.


I'm glad the boys are doing well and I'm especially glad you made it home safely. I wish I could have gone with you. I used up a whole week of personal leave last January so my leave time is depleted.

I'm going to miss Trooper (the paint). We had become good friends. He's the first horse I've even lobbed suction-cup toy arrows at before (very gently, of course) He's going to make some lucky kid a great horse.

[Daydream Believer]

I'm glad the boys are doing well and I'm especially glad you made it home safely. I wish I could have gone with you. I used up a whole week of personal leave last January so my leave time is depleted.

I'm going to miss Trooper (the paint). We had become good friends. He's the first horse I've even lobbed suction-cup toy arrows at before (very gently, of course) He's going to make some lucky kid a great horse.

Teaching the horses to be cool and calm around bows and arrows shooting around them was fun! For the others who are wondering why we were abusing horses in such a way, they are going to be used for mounted archery!

I'm glad to be home too! I was up a good bit of last night delivering a foal and now am headed out for a day of trimming...so I'm pretty toasted. I will sleep well tonight!