Driving on Long Island - Reality Check for my daughter

[Don Plumley]

Forgive the native Californian for asking a couple of naive questions, but since it concerns the safety of my little girl, I'm willing to be publicly embarrassed.

My 18yo goes to college on Long Island (Hofstra). One of the attractions was proximity to NYC where she goes often. As it turns out, the free school shuttle that takes her to the LIRR station is infrequent enough that it turns a 30 minute train ride into a two hour slog. So when she comes home for winter break, I am anticipating being asked if she can take her car with her back to school in late January. I also expect she will be going into NYC more frequently as she's hoping to get a job at TSNY (yes, she does flying trapeze and aerial stuff).

What's driving like in January-April in the Hempstead area of LI? I know that for decades people didn't have 4WD suv's and seemed to get along fine. She has a RWD car (old 318I); does she need snow tires? Are mom and I paranoid about ice coated roads?

BTW, she's been to the BMWCCA Street Survival course for teen drivers, so she's done wet/dry skidpad, slalom, emergency braking training -- so that's a plus. And yes, I have the normal concerns about parking at the LIRR station at night, I have no idea about that one either.

Any help much appreciated for a concerned dad.

[masraum]

Good luck! Being in your situation sounds positively nerve wracking to me.

[stomachmonkey]

Driving on LI is easy if you know how to do it. A nightmare if you don't.

They drive aggressively but are not aggressive if that makes sense. They will drive fast but also are in tune with each other and things work very nicely if you drive in a manner that is in keeping with the regional habits/expectations.

LIRR access from Hofstra is pretty good, top of my head I can think of at least 3-4 stations within a couple of miles. She's probably taking the Hempstead branch which sucks since you likely need to change trains in Jamaica. Westbury line is the same distance from Hofstra and is more direct. Hicksville is farther but you can get an express out of it.

Driving from Hofstra she's likely going to hit the Southern State which can be treacherous even in good weather. Quite a number of fast blind high speed curves and valleys. Better off on the LIE.

Hempstead is easy to get around without a car, plenty of buses but honestly to access anything beyond is a *****.

On LI a car is a basic necessity.

NYC may only be 30 miles or so from Hofstra but could easily take 2 hours driving.

Parking in the city is not easy or cheap either.

Personally I'd send her with a car. When she goes into the city let her drive and park at Hicksville, take the train from there. EDIT: Hicksville is a big well lit station, she's as safe there as she would be finding on street parking in NYC.

Best of both worlds.

[Paul_Heery]

This is a tough call for a dad.

First, in January and February this area gets some of its worse weather. Occasionally, we get hit with a heavy snow. But, we will regularly get ice forming overnight that can cause havoc in the mornings, or late at night. If she is going to have a car, I would recommend a good winter tire like a Blizzak. Also, have a heartfelt discussion with her about leaving the car sit if any bad weather is forecast.

The next item becomes parking. Make sure that you have that covered in regard to cost. I am not sure about on-campus parking, but parking at the train station will cost her. Also, if she goes into the city a lot, she will surely learn that driving to the station in Mineola cuts down her time on the train. The Hempstead branch is very slow.

Make sure that she has AAA. Old cars don't like to start in the middle of winter around here after they have been sitting outside for a day.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

...... but parking at the train station will cost her. Also, if she goes into the city a lot, she will surely learn that driving to the station in Mineola cuts down her time on the train....

Train station parking cost is somewhat offset by not having to pay a toll to get into the city. Yes there are free bridges but that also dictates what roads she'll need to use. Also parking in the city is going to cost. Sure you can find free on street parking but that can be a crapshoot depending on where need to be.

If she goes in frequently a monthly pass can help defray costs.

[steve911]

First off, its not at all like driving to Tahoe on I80 in the midst of a winter storm.

I grew up in Westchester County; winter driving in the NY area can be 'challenging', but a set of snow tires will do the trick. If there's too much snow for the snow tires to be effective, she probably shouldn't be driving until the plows do their work (duh!).

A NEW set of M+S tires will work, kind of, at least for the first year or two.

Parking in NYC is EXPENSIVE. Also, school her to not leave ANYTHING in the car when parked, not even a gym bag. It invites thieves, and they break windows. I speak from personal experience (3x, though from many years ago) Driving to a train station and taking the LIRR is probably a better ticket.

[Tim Hancock]

FWIW, I spent most of my adult life driving RWD cars with all season tires in northern Ohio.... It is "possible", but I ended up buying a spare set of wheels and dedicated snow tires first for my wife's old daily driver E36 325 and now her E46 330i. It makes a HUGE difference although I spent the last couple years daily driving the old E36 myself with just Falken Ziex 912 all season tires. It can be hairy with the all seasons, but I like the challenge and am a seasoned winter driver. My daughters succesfully drove their RWD Porsche 924's to highschool every day for several winters with the same all-season tires, but the 924's do a bit better in snow than the BMW's do with the all season tires.

I guess what I am saying is that if your daughter has zero winter driving experience, you better buy snow tires if you intend to have her get through her first winter of snow driving her RWD BMW without incident.

[stomachmonkey]

Honestly your best bet is a "station car".

We all had them. POS that is mechanically sound, tires, brakes, lights, heat, A/C.

You pick them up for $1,000.

Only liability ins with the highest deductible possible.

You don't care what happens to it and nobody really bothers them.

If it dies you leave it where it is, take the tags and pick up another one.

Do the math on what it will cost to drive or transport the 318 between coasts.

You'll likely break even.

[gizmofixer]

If she's an 'assertive' and able driver, she'll do OK with the weather, the natives, and the traffic.
BUT
that's about the worst car to put in the situation.
My ex had one, we parked it each winter,
it was horrible on ice, snow, even rainy wet roads.
and yes, we tried a number of different tires.
My 2 cents: stick with the trains and buses.....

[Don Plumley]

Thanks for so many great answers so far. Keep 'em coming.

Yes, she's not going to drive into NYC, she will park at the Mineola or similar station. She hates the Hempstead station and tries to avoid it. Thanks for the tip for the Hicksville station. We have AAA (I will check if the CA AAA membership works there).

Winter tires sound like the ticket, I suppose there is an infrastructure to help you buy and store the summer tires.

If I could figure out a way to remotely buy a "station car", that would be the ticket. Just what I need, a 6th car...

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by steve911

Parking in NYC is EXPENSIVE. Also, school her to not leave ANYTHING in the car when parked, not even a gym bag. It invites thieves, and they break windows. I speak from personal experience (3x, though from many years ago) Driving to a train station and taking the LIRR is probably a better ticket.

Absolutely no reason to take a car into NYC. More than enough public transportation available.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Honestly your best bet is a "station car".

There it is. I lived in CT for three years (commuted to Maryland on the weekends) and everyone had one or were picked up at the station.

I never drove when I had to go to NYC unless I was headed home from the trip or was staying in a hotel with parking.

And frankly, I had never really used public trans before that. Once you get the sense of it, and she should practice on a weekend, it's a breeze.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Honestly your best bet is a "station car".

We all had them. POS that is mechanically sound, tires, brakes, lights, heat, A/C.

You pick them up for $1,000.

Only liability ins with the highest deductible possible.

You don't care what happens to it and nobody really bothers them.

If it dies you leave it where it is, take the tags and pick up another one.

Do the math on what it will cost to drive or transport the 318 between coasts.

You'll likely break even.

+1

Tell her to buy a POS with good tires, and good brakes. Going forward is optional, just make sure it stops well. A older Ford Taurus might be a good option. Cheap, room for friends, safe, and she won't be heart broken if it gets trashed. Leave the BMW at home safe for when she graduates.

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Once you get the sense of it, and she should practice on a weekend, it's a breeze.

To be clear, she uses it 2x a week now. The problem is the school's bus schedule to get to the station adds up to 1.25 hours, which is a problem at midnight coming back from NYC. The purpose of the car is to bridge between the school (safe spot) and a reasonably safe train station.

And the car is not a new one - it's a 1997 318i with 180K miles. Not a $1K car, but not a $5K car...

Still, the idea of a Taurus is a good one. How easy are they to come by?

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

Thanks for so many great answers so far. Keep 'em coming.

Yes, she's not going to drive into NYC, she will park at the Mineola or similar station. She hates the Hempstead station and tries to avoid it. Thanks for the tip for the Hicksville station. We have AAA (I will check if the CA AAA membership works there).

Winter tires sound like the ticket, I suppose there is an infrastructure to help you buy and store the summer tires.

If I could figure out a way to remotely buy a "station car", that would be the ticket. Just what I need, a 6th car...

throw the summer tires in the trunk. great place to STORE them and add traction.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

To be clear, she uses it 2x a week now. The problem is the school's bus schedule to get to the station adds up to 1.25 hours, which is a problem at midnight coming back from NYC. The purpose of the car is to bridge between the school (safe spot) and a reasonably safe train station.

And the car is not a new one - it's a 1997 318i with 180K miles. Not a $1K car, but not a $5K car...

Still, the idea of a Taurus is a good one. How easy are they to come by?

Taurus is a great choice.

Dime a dozen.

1991 FORD TAURUS GL WAGON $1000 **negotiable**

'99 Ford Taurus- 91,605 Miles
That one is in Huntington, pay $800 for it, drive it over to All Weather Tire on Depot Rd, tell em you are paying cash and you'll be in and out in 15 minutes.

Ford Taurus

ford taurus 98

[Moses]

I lived in NYC for five years. I wouldn't hesitate to let my kid drive there.

Driving on Long Island becomes dangerous when you MUST drive. If your daughter has the option of staying put when the roads are bad she won't have a problem.

[TimT]

Absolutely no reason to take a car into NYC. More than enough public transportation available.

It is stupid to drive into NYC unless absolutely necessary..

I am a native Long Islander, I live about a 15 minute drive from Hofstra....The only time in my 50 years that I did not live here was a 4 year period in the sandbox... i.e. Saudi, Abu Dhabi ...etc..

Some years we get no snow, others we may get hammered by a few winter storms and Nor'easters..

You probably don't need to invest in winter tires.... good all seasons will be fine. For your peace of mind....Blizzaks might be in order There might be more BMW rear drive cars in Nassau County per capita than most places and most people around here seem to do just fine with them..

Tell her if she wants to practice driving in snow.... go down to Jones Beach and do donuts in one of the parking lots

The Towns, County and State do a really good job clearing the roads of snow and ice... with exceptions of course... there is always the perfect storm...

Parking at most LIRR lots is free on weekends or after hours.... which is when I imagine your daughter will be heading to NYC, on weekdays you need a permit($) or have to park at metered parking ($) there is always some sort of free parking within a short walk of the stations...

Hicksville is a good option for her to catch the train but she is driving 25 minutes from the schoolaway from NYC ..Mineola is closest, not sure of the parking situation there.. Also she can leave Hofstra head east on Hempstead Turnpike and then head south on Uniondale Ave and get the train at the Baldwin Train Station...maybe 15 mins..... The Hempstead branch of LIRR is really an under served spur..

If you look on this map imagine your daughter is located in an area under the "P" in Hempstead Branch

MTA LIRR - LIRR Map

If you are worried about the car and its health here.. send me a pm I know a reputable place or two that can take care of it....

[TimT]

I lived in NYC for five years. I wouldn't hesitate to let my kid drive there

It is stupid to drive into NYC unless absolutely necessary.

OK if you read these posts you might wonder WTF?

As posted by me... I don't drive into NYC unless it is a necessity.... That is not because it is unsafe..... it is because parking is very expensive...

Parking in a Mid-town underground lot was $16 for the first half-hour a few years ago... the subsequent time is at a much reduced rate..

One street parking is a free for all...

The drivers in general are aware of others and in that special NYC way are respectful...

Also your daughter probably knows all this already...

[vash]

if she inherited any of daddy's skills..she will be perfectly fine!!!