In Transit newsletter: What I learned on a 400-mile road trip with my 15-year-old son

When I learned that WWE Monday Night Raw was going to be in Buffalo just a day before my son’s beloved Buffalo Bills held a free open practice in their brand-new stadium, I knew all the ingredients were there for a late summer road trip. So my son Chris packed his Josh Allen jersey, and I packed my Roman Reigns T-shirt, and we headed out on a recent Sunday morning for the 400-mile drive. Here are some musings from behind the wheel.

Gas ain’t cheap, anywhere

Given that gas prices in the United States are the highest they’ve ever been for August, it may not seem like the best time to embark on an 800-mile round trip. I was counting on gas being a little cheaper outside the New York Metro area, but if it was, I hardly noticed. In total, I went through about two full tanks driving between Valley Stream and Buffalo and spent a total $110 on gas, which works out to an average of well over $4 per gallon. To keep costs as low as possible, I paid cash or opted for stations that didn’t charge extra for paying with credit. We also took my wife’s compact 2019 Honda HRV, rather than my less fuel-efficient 2015 Honda Odyssey minivan. Given how cramped he was trying to lie down in the back seat, I’m sure Chris would have gladly ponied up some allowance money to cover the difference.

Sometimes the traffic gods smile on you

Whether I’m driving 30 miles or 300, the worst part of any road trip, inevitably, is getting through New York City. We hoped to get an early start Sunday morning, but didn’t end up heading out until after 11 a.m., so I was sure we’d be adding at least an extra hour to our trip just getting through the Bronx. But we somehow breezed through the Bruckner, and were in Westchester before we knew it with nary a brake light in sight. The return trip was nearly as traffic-free, which was even more shocking, given we didn’t make it into the boroughs until the height of the Tuesday evening rush hour.

I was brought back to reality when I returned to work the next day and it took me over an hour each way to make the 20-mile drive to and from Newsday’s offices in Melville.

If you think Long Island’s roads have problems ...

One of the biggest challenges of any road trip can be getting used to peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of other cities’ street designs, like those jug-handle turns I was reminded of when I recently visited New Jersey. (Who would think to make a right when you want to go left?)

My biggest driving frustration driving in upstate and western New York was the traffic lights — both the inordinately long waits for some to change, and the lack of them in some places where they were desperately needed, like the busy road bisecting the Bills' Highmark Stadium parking lot and the team store. Add to that the frustration of finding street parking in downtown Buffalo, and I soon found myself missing Merrick Road.

I’m not saying Long Island’s roads don’t have their own issues, but at least I’ve had a couple decades of driving here to get used to them.

The right travel partner makes all the difference

Over my 18-plus hours of driving over three days, both Chris and I took turns with the stereo system — he with his Drake and me with my classic Casey Kasem countdowns. But the best parts of the drive, and, maybe, the whole trip, were when the music was off. Chris shared some reservations about the new school year and I assured him he’d kill it. I impressed Chris by scoring 45 out of 50 on a WWE quiz and (eventually) naming all 50 states. We stopped for Cinnabons and beef on weck and when nature called. We watched the sunset over Niagara Falls on the way up, and over the Throgs Neck Bridge on the way back. When we finally got home, we were both eager to stretch our legs and have dinner with the rest of the family. But it took me a little longer than usual to turn off the ignition.

Did you know?

Ever wonder why the Long Island Expressway is missing both Exit 47 and Exit 54? Exit 47 was intended to be where the LIE would have intersected the Bethpage State Parkway (which would have been renamed the Caumsett State Parkway). But a proposed northern extension of the Bethpage Parkway was dropped in the 1980s. There was an Exit 54 once, letting out onto Wicks Road in Brentwood. But it was causing a lot of traffic congestion, so the state DOT closed it in 1990.

What's your best road-trip memory? Share it with us at transit@newsday.com

Transportation news

• The LIRR is planning improvements to the Montauk branch, where ridership is up 6.4% compared with the same period last year.
• To avoid missing a serve while sitting in traffic, MTA officials are urging tennis fans to take the LIRR to attend the upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament in Queens.
• Four separate crashes over two days last week on Long Island killed two people and injured four, police said.
• Travelers flying on Frontier Airlines out of Long Island MacArthur Airport will have fewer destinations to choose from starting next month.
• Following the death of a construction worker in a Nesconset work zone, Suffolk County police announced a crackdown on drivers who don’t move over for stopped roadside vehicles.
• Talk about wasting gas. An overturned fuel truck spilled 2,000 gallons of gasoline onto Rockaway Turnpike in Meadowmere Park.
• LIRR commuters can once again slurp down oysters while waiting for their track announcements, as Tracks Raw Bar and Grill is back in Penn Station.

Travel watch

The LIRR’s annual fall timetable change is set to take effect on Sept. 8, with several schedule changes that aim to improve service or allow for planned track work. Among the planned improvements: The 5:13 p.m. summer weekday train from Penn Station to Montauk will now operate all year long. The full timetables are available here.

The ramp for Exit 40S (Robert Moses Causeway) on the westbound Southern State Parkway will be closed weeknights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for about five weeks for guiderail replacement work.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.