Major congestion, long commutes reported Tuesday morning
Traffic on the westbound Long Island Expressway in North Hills on Tuesday. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
At the height of the morning commute, the traffic-aware real-time data report shows incredibly heavy traffic crawling both west and east on major roads between Long Island and New York City.
Data shows that the trek between Ronkonkoma and Penn Station is taking 45 minutes more than usual eastbound — and 76 minutes more than usual westbound — as of 8 a.m. That’s an eastbound trip of 109 minutes and a westbound trek of 140 minutes.
The trip between Babylon and Penn was 107 minutes eastbound, 42 minutes more than normal, and 134 minutes westbound, or 68 minutes more than the usual 66-minute non-strike commute time.
The trip between Hicksville and Penn is taking 39 minutes more eastbound and 71 minutes more westbound. That’s an 81-minute trip east, 119 minutes west.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 6: Top football teams in action and soccer playoffs roundup Gregg Sarra sounds off on Farmingdale vs. Massapequa and the battle between Longwood and Floyd, plus Michael Sicoli recaps some of the playoff soccer games, an update on the high school fantasy football standings and the plays of the week.
