In Fairfield, CT (where I am based) you cannot drive a truck and a trailer on the parkways. Unfortunately for me, a lot of my destinations are most easily reached by driving on the parkway. Google maps will not let me avoid parkways and all the apps I’ve seen online have bad reviews.
Last time I pulled a trailer around here, I spent an extra two hours in the car because I took an inefficient route AND got stuck in a ton of traffic… So… recommendations?
I’m in Fairfield, near Westchester, so I know your plight. I have no good solution. I just map routes ahead of time and make sure they don’t involve the Merritt - or any of the many NY parkways. Anything x84 or x87 or x95 is a spur of those interstates, so will be fine to trailer on.
With google maps you can drag the blue line to pick a new route. I’m assuming your talking about the Meritt? (Sp?). You should be able to drag the line to 95. As for traffic?? Good luck! I hate driving through there.
I am of no help. Just chiming in to say your post activated my rant mode. I drive the Merritt every day, and I’ve stopped counting the number of vehicles in tow I’ve seen on there lately, not to mention campers, trucks and commercial vehicles. The prohibited vehicles list is only listed at every entrance ramp. If it weren’t for the low bridges putting your horses at risk, I’d say just use the damn thing. Everybody else is. The police in Fairfield County obviously have zero interest in addressing these vehicles that are not supposed to be there. I don’t see their NY counterparts doing anything about it on the Hutch either.
As to your actual problem, I would think there has a be a truckers version of these Apps that would route you around the off limit roads. I use Total Traffic for my traffic management. It doesn’t plot a route for you, but it does show where the clogs are so you can make a plan B for getting places.
Maybe try Waze. It lets you adjust settings to avoid certain types of roadways. I believe it allows you to designate your vehical as commercial, which might omit parkways.
There are some commercial applications that are designed for trucks. They might work but they are also pricy.
Good luck in your search.
G.
Thought about this thread today as I passed a smooched tractor trailer slammed into the King Street Bridge on the Hutch today. Lovely traffic jam.
I have an IPhone. In my Google Maps app, if I go to settings, then navigation, I have the option to “avoid highways”… and “avoid tolls”… wondering why you don’t have that option…
The OP doesn’t want to avoid all highways. Only the ones that prohibit trailers. There are a lot of those out here…had never seen it before elsewhere in the US.
I’m another one that just sets out my route ahead, but it’s a problem if something goes wrong on the route. I have definitely been in the position of driving around the world to move a horse in this state as well. Try getting from Durham to Woodbridge with a horse trailer. I’m in Bethany so getting to 84 isn’t bad, but taking 15 off the list of routes isn’t fun if you are trying to get anywhere below 84.
I swear that happens once a week!!
Faced this issue when horse hunting with my BO. We were pulling a four horse gooseneck and going between CT, NY and NJ. We knew about the parkway in CT but had no clue in other states! And the GPS kept trying to reroute us to less congested routes, so we would frantically try to determine if that route was legal while we were in motion!
I use route 68 to 42 for that trip, but that is a winding mess of back roads. I feel your pain! At least in Bethany, you have route 8 right there.
I have not been able to find an app that considers what you’re driving and adjusts accordingly. I’ve tried Waze, Google Maps, and some of the trucker apps. I have the issue of dirt roads and I have yet to find a way to have the app avoid them.
I’ll never forget being on the merrit (or is it wilbur cross) heading into the tunnel, and finding there was a full sized gigantic Big Rig in front of me! Oh, I KNEW it wouldn’t make it throuhg. He was trucking along, too, I floored it to get ahead of him and into the tunnel before he did, I didn’t want to be behind him when he smashed up. I don’t know if he hit the roof or not, probably not, but it did make me askeert. Off topic. I think its too bad the horse trailers can’t go on the merrit.
Let us know if you find something! I grew up with the parkways, didn’t know for the longest time they weren’t a thing everywhere.
The problem with the parkways is that unlike some low clearance bridges, where you will never fit, many box trucks will fit…in the left lane. So they think they can, and do, until that time they are in the right lane…
Even aside from the bridges though, I would hate to try those on ramps that have a stop sign at the top and no on lane with a horse trailer. Fun acceleration!
Okay…this is a regional thing, right? What the heck is a parkway?
Here’s the wiki page on the Merritt. It’s a specialty highway with restrictions on what’s allowed to be on it. This isn’t the only one in this area, but it’s been mentioned a few times in this thread.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merritt_Parkway
And yes, very much regional.
garmin makes an inexpensive truck gps. I use it all the time around Fairfield. It not only avoids “restricted routes” but it also warns you if there are tight turns, questionable hills and any other issues if you’re pulling. Granted, they’re worried about a semi but it comes in handy with a horse trailer. Best $100 I ever spent. Also to note, it warns of upcoming traffic blocks and asks if you want to be re routed. Saves a world of problems going through NYC or north on 95
A little late for tonight’s trip, but sounds like a good buy for the future! Do you have a link to the GPS?
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