Bronx-Whitestone Bridge

Who can say anything good about this excuse for transportation infrastructure except that in theory, it gets you from Queens to «da Bronx» without a boat.
Major complaints:
1. Perpetual construction. it the bridge never looks good.
2. 30 MPH speed limit but no one ever drives less than 60.
3. «Cheaters crossing g to Queens bypass everyone e by taking the Cross Island Parkway, then switch over last minute to. it off everyone who waited patiently.
Swimming across would be slightly slower.

Depending on the day and time, you’ll hit traffic. Just be careful and be mindful of other drivers… And please use your blinkers if you’re changing lanes!

This is a decent bridge.
Not too many potholes, and not too much traffic.
The view is just alright.

I wrote a song with Timberlake about when the police stopped me on this bridge:
Those flashing lights came from everywhere
The fat cop stripped me to my underwear (underwear yeah)
He’s got me Whitestoned
Man I swear I’m high and he knows
I think that he knows
This bridge is freaky and it knows it.
Bronx is what New Yorkers call Bronchitis. They tend to get it because of all the traffic fumes. Whitestone is when someone Caucasian takes a lot of drugs or drinks a lot of alcohol (or usually both). Someone who is Whitestoned and is also suffering from the Bronx, will probably die. Whereas if you are Whitestoned and you are in the Bronx, then you will probably get robbed. But it’s better to get robbed by a bodega worker in the Bronx than by a JFK or LaGuardia employee in Queens, right? Or worst of all: by a Manhattan banker. Pink Floyd said it best when they said, all in all you’re just a… nother pr*ck on the Wall Street Stock Exchange.
But let’s talk about this bridge.
I’ve crossed this one maybe 5 times total, and I’ve crossed Throgs Neck (awesome name) maybe 15 times total. I tend to gravitate towards that one because you can see «out to sea» from it and all the way up the coast on a clear day. But if I’m honest, this one probably has better views, because you get parts of the Bronx, parts of Queens, and an amazing vista of Manhattan which you can see from some of the pix here.
If I was writing this review about 3 years ago, it’d have scored a 2 or 3. It was one of the most backed-​up, run-​down, construction-​suffocated bridges around. However now that all of the work is done, it’s nice! Delays are way less, there’s more space, the road surface is perfect. I like this bridge a lot!
The only reason it scores 4 instead of 5, is because it’s essentially taking you from one NYC nabe to another. Bronx to Queens or vice versa. And for that reason I feel like it should be free, or maybe 1 or 2 dollars either way. You’re staying in the same city, so no need to gouge. But they do. It’s $ 7.50 each way. It is possible to get from BX to Q without paying, but it’s a long way round. Queensboro and then one of the small bridges from Harlem to the Bronx. Quite annoying.
But if we focus on the good then I’ll say it’s a gorgeous bridge with a gorgeous view and it’s been brilliantly redesigned and revamped and now is as smooth as it’s going to be for New York (no that is not a comment on the personal grooming habits of NYC girls, no matter where your mind instantly predictably went).
I’ll definitely be using it in future, even though it doesn’t have a name as cool as Throgs Neck. I’m much more into Necking than being Whitestoned. I’m only half white anyway. Half-​whitestoned doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
Speaking of rings, I think someone should give the MTA a ring on the phone and tell them the story by the Malaysian Lucas L (not Lucas Leiva from Liverpool FC btw), because it’s disgusting. That employee should not be working at a bridge, or anywhere he has to deal with the pubic for that matter. I meant the public, not the pubic. Sorry, I’m still thinking about the smooth personal grooming stuff. Okay I need a moment. (Breathing heavy).

It’s a great way to get uptown and back to Brooklyn quickly. But just like any other highway in NYC it’s all about timing. Just keep an E-​ZPass on standby to avoid some traffic. The lines do get long at times but I’d rather travel this way than to fight traffic on the FDR during rush hour (2pm-​7pm). Every highway actually sucks during rush hour in NYC! But travel safe and watch the potholes.

The bridge has definitely had improvements the last few years. It connects Queens and the Bronx. If you’re coming from Queens, you can catch the Hutchinson Parkway or The Cross Bronx or the Bruckner Expressway. If you’re coming from the Bronx side, you can take the Cross Island or the Van Wyck Expressway.
On the way to Bronx, before the tolls, you get a great view of a pretty nice looking golf course. Trump Links. The view over the bridge is pretty good too.
Plenty of toll lanes in both directions which is great. Currently it is $ 8. I believe it’s a little cheaper with EZ Pass.

I must say all the work they have been doing for the last decade might have finally paid off.
Yesterday on Mothers day at 645pm there was minimal traffic and the road on the bridge was considerably smooth.
For the past few years all i can remember is the build up by the toll booths due to not enough people having ez passes it seems like they have adjusted to that problem.

Below is my letter submitted to ur cust service pg regarding #racistcomments made by one of ur officer.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Lucas Leong and I am a resident from Springfield, MA. I’d like to formally lodge a complaint on a MTA Bridge & Tunnel officer based at the Bronx-​Whitestone Toll Booth for making an offensive racist comment toward me and my passengers. The officer was a 40-​year old White (probably Hispanic White) male in black & grey hair.
The incident occurred on 4÷26÷2015 (Sunday) approximately 7:30 p.m. at the direction FROM QUEENS to THE BRONX. There were four (4) cash lanes opened and I was at the far left one. After paying the $ 8 toll fee with a $ 20 note, the MTA officer who was wearing a cop-​like uniform held the cash balance ($ 12) firmly for about 10 seconds. Before I even reach out for the balance with my hand (I just touched the tip of the cash), he deliberately pulled the balance back and made a comment before releasing the balance.
Seconds prior to his question, the music airing in my car is a Chinese tune. His question was: «Let me ask you something…(paused for a second after I responded „yea?“)… WHY DO YOU CHINESE PEOPLE LIKE TO GRAB THE CASH FROM MY HANDS IN A RUSH AND RUDE MANNER EVERY TIME? IS THIS SOMETHING BUILT IN YOUR CULTURE OR WHAT?»
Knowing that it was a toll booth and there was cars lining up behind, my immediate respond was shocked and disgusted by the racist comments he made and I did not respond to him by pulling up my window and left the toll booth. Moments later, two passengers in my car (my girlfriend and her friend) were stunned by his comments as we recognized his uniform as an authorized personnel of the MTA. I am actually a MALAYSIAN of Chinese ethnicity but I certainly do not let my appearances skin color affect how people perceive me. I understand that the officer could be referring to Chinese nationalities who could have offended him in the past but this incident made me realized that racism is still out there even in public service and as an international student I was really disappointed on how I was treated by an MTA personnel. I would also like to condemn on how he insulted Chinese culture just because of his own negative experiences with other Chinese commuters.
I was not mad about him because I can assure Americans that we Malaysians of all races surely know how to behave well abroad. While I am of Chinese descent and proud of our rich culture, I too recognize some disgusting and awful behaviors of other Chinese citizens which made me ashamed as people often associate us Malaysians as the same kind. Nonetheless, my main point is for this complaint is hoping that MTA will take this incident seriously with necessary actions to avoid racism comments (be it White, Black, Asian or others) made by your officers as they should be setting a good example to all Americans and foreign visitors of New York regardless of their job ranks.
I hope to hear some updates from your Customer Service department to make sure that my complaint reached to the right hands and please feel free to contact me if you require more information.
Thank you.
Lucas

The Whitestone Bridge has to be one of the worst bridges I’ve ever driven on! From pot holes to traffic due to the ongoing construction that never seems to be finished, I really truly this bridge. No matter the direction — northbound or southbound, you are bound to run into traffic due to a lane closure, construction, or whatever new reason to make your commute unpleasant.
Beware of the deep and treacherous potholes in this bridge — you will get a bubble or a flat tire of you happen to land in one. NY really needs to invest in repaving the road on this bridge and completing the construction!

LOVE this bridge. Absolutely wonderful view of the city and more. Not 5 stars because if I make a trip into the city or Queens, $ 7.5 per trip is expensive to start with… also I have to make sure I carry enough cash. Ouch.
Also be sure for long lines if you pay for cash. One time I was stuck here for 15 minutes, most of the wait times were around 5 — 10 mins.
The lane on the right side (on both directions) is always extremely narrow. Make sure you choose the middle or left lane (depends on the specific section of the bridge) to drive through as you will have more room.

The Whitestone is a cool bridge nothing special except the view. This bridge connects the Bronx to Long Island and queens. I take this bridge to get into queens. If I’m coming from upstate.
The tolls are much cheaper if you have EZ-​Pass. The tolls cost $ 7.50 cash. For EZ-​Pass they are $ 5.30 cents. Much cheaper if you have EZ-​Pass.
The view is really nice from the bridge. You can see the manhattan skyline day or night. The pictures always make the buildings seem smaller. Never the less it’s still a nice view.
Overall. This is a nice bridge. The view is great.

This bridge is a necessary evil for me. They have been fixing this bridge for approximately 13 years! I know they’re doing this due to another bridge with a similar structure collapsing in another state during that time. However, I’m certain they could’v built a new one in this time frame…
The traffic on here is insane on a regular basis. At times I feel like not wanting to travel to my destination due to the traffic delays.
Oh, and when they reduce the amount of lanes during rush hour it can take at least an hour to cross the bridge. I guess they can’t find a better time then when most people are on the bridge…

This bridge has some nice views of the city, and wide views of some very beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
But it’s been under construction forever! And it doesn’t look like it’s ever going to stop.

I am always stuck in traffic every single time I go this route! Seriously. They’ve been «fixing it» for like 5 years. Enough.

The cash lanes oftentimes bottle neck the lanes. The view is nice at night. I think he toll price is too darn high, but having an ez pass helps

Throgs Neck is a cool bridge in name only. It makes me think of a Medieval dragon. I took the Whitestone for the first time yesterday and moved across with no issues. Throgs Neck looked backed up so I called a Peyton Manning audible. Good option to get to the BX.

I don’t really understand how you can review a bridge, considering you’re most likely driving over it and not observing the engineering marvel that it is.

I take this bridge about 20 times a month.
It seems for the last 5 years there has been construction on this thing.
I’m not really sure how long it is supposed to last, hopefully it will end soon.
I use Ez-​Pass so there is a small but significant discount (it adds up). It also cuts down on the travel time since there should be no wait to pay for the toll.
I usually travel past this bridge about 630am and 5pm Sundays thru Thursdays. I usually have no major delays.
Bronx bound from queens during peak rush hour there are major delays leading to the bridge approach. I would suggest the Throgs Neck Bridge if that is an option.
Bronx to queens is usually less of a headache IMO most of the time.
Also if a car doesn’t have funds in the ezpass lane they till officers usually respond promptly.
I haven’t used the cash lane in 4 or more years so I cannot give any feedback on my experience in those lanes.
Hope this helps. Happy travels.

Under construction since 1957. C’mon already!

I really, really want to give the Whitestone Brdige 5 stars. I grew up within walking distance of it. I grew up in a house where you walk out the driveway and BAM, there it is in the skyline, I could even hear tractor trailers heading up the span.
To me and call me biased, but when it’s not being worked on, the Whitestone Bridge is one of the more aesthetically pleasing bridges in NYC. It doesn’t have the brickwork of the Brooklyn Bridge, the weird paint job the 59^th Street Brdige has or the train running through it like the Manhattan Brdige, but it’s clean lines and simple design always made a fan out of me.
The bummer about this bridge is that between what seems like constant roadwork, lane realignment and worst of all, constant traffic. I don’t know what Bridges & Tunnels or DOT is up to, but I feel like the Whitestone Brdige has been under construction for the better part of a DECADE. Due to this, you might be bumper to bumper at 3 AM in the morning or 3 PM in the afternoon. Plus all that construction work, pylons and tarps definitely take away from the beauty of this bridge. Hopefully once this work is all done, this bridge will be back to it’s great, normal self. Just hope it’s not another decade until it’s done.