Traffic Alert for York, Pa. Area

Thanks TD.

Thanks for the heads up Brian, see you there.

Thanks,

Alex

Hmm...  Not being very familiar with the roads there, does that affect folks coming from the East?

Thanks very much for your thoughtfulness in posting that information, Brian.

FrankM

Big deal, get off 30W and turn left at R30.  I know, I 'm a pain in the butt.

John, it depends on where you are staying and how you planned to get there. I think it would affect folks heading south on I83 and staying east of the interstate near US30. I'd suggest bringing up google maps or whatever you use and find that intersection in York. Should be easy to find as they are both major routes.

Pete

Thank you for the heads up.

I've been thru that interchange several times in the past week, your best to avoid it no matter what direction your coming. It's a freaking nightmare to get on or off, always an accident or fender bender, very short almost nonexistant merge lanes with stop signs making you try to merge with highway speed traffic from a stand still. I haven't been thru it during weekday rush hour yet but it can't be any better. I'm going to take the 462 Market St. exit east over to Philadelphia and then Phila. over to Carlisle north.

Jerry

John, here's a map of York.  The Train meet is at the fairgrounds in the lower left quadrant, off Carlisle Ave.  Sounds like the construction is at I-83 exit 21 (rough red circle), and they are suggesting using exit 22 (red triangle) instead, then coming south on St. George Street (83B) and making a right turn onto 30 west.

I stay off St George Street just north of exit 22, and I usually get to the fairgrounds in the morning by doing exactly what I described, south on St George to 30, then follow 30 west all the way around to Carlisle.  Route 30 is an easy way to get to the fairgrounds because it avoids going through the center of town.

WARNING there will be a lot of TRAIN NUT'S on the road with two thing's in mind TRAIN'S and FOOD !

My pleasure gentlemen.  On the link I provided you can even check for current traffic conditions.  On the right side of the map, click the arrow to expand the map legend.  In the box you can select from the listed traffic conditions you want to see.

A busy Model Railroad President and Chief Executive Officer, and the Duke of York, all in one. Brian, you are tops!

YEH, Don't tell anyone about Pennsylvania Ave..SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. 

I'm going to be mad if I can't get to Round the Clock.

Thanks for the heads up just checked my directions and sure enough it had me getting off on exit 21 30E. 

Thanks for letting us know Brian.

Thanks for the heads up, though based on the description, I've been doing this method all the years I've been going. 

I'll keep an eye for more train heads going the same way this year though!

-Dave

John, if you're looking to make time driving to York from your house... I'd get on the PA Turnpike going West, get off at the Reading/Ephrata/222 exit, get on Rt 222 South, then get on Rt 30 Westbound all the way to Carlisle Ave in York.  Then follow Carlisle Ave to the fairground entrance.

If you sense traffic is backing up around the I83 / Rt30 interchange that Brian mentioned, you can always get off ahead of that interchange and travel to the fairgrounds via the local roads (especially if you have GPS in the car)... i.e., look for Market St (462), but that will take you through downtown York with traffic lights.  Much more stop-and-go driving as compared to Rt30 (without traffic delays).

David

Brian

thanks for the heads up,

Steve

Thank you,very much, David, for that additional information; it was exactly what I needed, since I stay in a Lancaster motel for this event. I was wondering how much that Rt.30 intersection/overpass at Rt83 would affect my drive through to Carlisle Ave, both in the early a.m. and during the afternoon and early evening returns. (I prefer not to take the detour route thru York.)
FrankM.

good information. thanks for sharing

I looked at the map for York, I think David has the right route for folks in the East, I think that's how I'll be coming.

Clear as mud.  I reread some of these comments several times looking for a translation, dug out my map, and decided (erroneously?), that there would be little impact.  Coming from the east, west, or north, most people would come down (south) I-83 from the turnpike and get off on EXIT 22 (George Street) which gives you a choice of turning left or right on US 30, right to the fairgrounds, left to some motels.  Have always taken this route even when stuck up in motels up on the turnpike.  If it IS Exit 21 that is fouled up, no problem.  From the south, Baltimore and DC on I-83...pass EXIT 21 and get off on EXIT 22.  It would never occur to me to get off on EXIT 21 and drive through stoplight to stoplight traffic, unless it is EXIT 22 that is fouled up.  People from the area and locals will have their secret and possibly better routes to circumvent the foulup.  Those picking this York as a good one to hit Gettysburg or Lancaster first, avoiding I-83, and driving into York on US 30 will beat

the system.

PA road construction moves slower than molasses on a cold winter day. Let's not forget the route 30 "improvement project" of not that long ago. Good grief!

Allan may want to move this thread up to the "Featured Topics" at the top of the York Forum. I am sure we will be re-discussing this in April if the project is much more than a pothole fill.

Thanks Traindiesel for the post.

Sam

I'm thinking of bringing my bicycle.  Might be quicker to ride it from the hotel to the fairgrounds than drive. 

Rather than feature this thread (which could become "lost" or overlooked in that area) I featured and locked a separate post with the link to PennDOT's traffic advisory site.

Use this thread or refer to the featured-and-locked thread, whichever best serves your needs and purposes.

Allan posted a link to traffic alerts, and there aren't any.  That seems somewhat odd.

When the little triangles (alerts) pop up click on them for details:

Reported By: PennDOT District 8

Thanks Brian, I don't know how I missed the expanded info.

How does this route look, it's what Google Maps likes.  It seems to bypass the problem intersection.

Mapquest seems to favor going through that intersection.

Check the date of that last update, though:  July 17.

That closure may not still be in effect (although this IS PennDOT we're talking about).  

That could be because the situation hasn't changed since then.  When you check the "Show Speeds" box it seems to show the current traffic speed.

As an alternative there are smart phone apps that can give current traffic conditions.

John, either of those routes are good.  Taking Philadelphia St. is direct but can clog up too with traffic lights and local traffic.  Depends what time you're going through there.  During rush hours, it's going to be slow everywhere.

Rather than entering the Fairgrounds on Carlisle, entering from Highland ave. is much easier.

I'm arriving at around 9:30 on Thursday, so rush hour "should" be over.  I don't see how Highland gets in, it seems to butt into Carlisle.

This should be fun with a 37' 5th wheel camper.  Coming south on I83 from Harrisburg.  Mapping program says to get off at exit 22 and take N George St to 30 west.  See you all there.  Thanks, for the heads up.

Dan

Who cares about the traffic in York. It's always heavy on rte 30. It has been for as long as I have been going 36 years.

I drove thru there last Friday evening and Saturday around noon Allan, it's still a mess. Best bets are exit 22 or 19 and just avoid those ramps at exit 21 all together.

If your coming north on 83 take exit 19 and cross Lincoln Hwy. (462) onto N. Hills Rd. and continue up to 30 and turn left or you can take the same exit but turn left onto Lincoln and head into York on Phila. but that is a bit more convoluted and a lot of stop and go.

Eddie, don't blow off the traffic there as nothing big this isn't the usual congestion by any stretch of the imagination. There have been  several really bad accidents there because of construction. I drive this stretch several times a week and unless you like taking the chance of being in an accident or sitting in a back up because of one don't tempt fate. There are no merge lanes at all, just a stop sign at the entrance to 83 or 30 and you usually have to gun it to get into traffic since the traffic flow almost never stops or eases up to let you comfortably get in  and the traffic on 83 north and south is usually pretty backed up there.

Jerry

As you head south on Carlisle from 30, there is a point where the 2 lanes split.  You want to be in the right lane, that is an exit only that takes you to Highland Ave.  The left lane would take you to the main entrance on Carlisle near the perimiter of the racetrack.

After the traffic light at the bottom of the small ramp, proceed straight across on Highland, there is an open gate to the fairgrounds on your left maybe several hundred feet up right near one end of the Orange Hall.

-Dave

Traffic in the York area is always bad, especially along Route 30.  It's just a matter of exercising a whole lot of patience--allowing plenty of time to get where you want to go--and keeping continually alert with eyes on the road.  Route 30 is not the place to be messing with your cell phone, taking a sip of coffee, or changing CDs in the player, etc.

I can't remember the last York I attended where I didn't see at least one accident take place on that wonderful stretch of congested highway.

I think those traveling east on the PA turnpike should get off at Breezewood, often a delay getting through Breezewood, and take Rt 30 east up over the mountains.  Quite an experience. Especially this time of year.   Much of the road is as it was in the 50's.   I believe you could even stop or spend the night in Gettysburg.  There is railroad there and a lot of Civil War history.   Kind of a back entrance way into York.   I always remind non-Pennsylvanians; of the 15 million of us, 8 million live in Bucks, Berk, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.   So that corner of the state sees a lot of activity.

  Mike CT  There is a reason for the remaining tunnels on the PA Turnpike.

John, don't overthink things too much.    I know it's your first time to the train show... But if it's also your first time driving around York and the fairgrounds complex, the important thing is to trust your GPS or Google Maps directions and just get their safely.  Once you get the lay of the land, you'll discover there are actually 3 or 4 (perhaps more) entrances to the fairgrounds... And you'll decide on your own personal preferences.  

The Carlisle Ave entrance is easy 'cause you'll most likely already be driving on Carlisle Ave., and that entrance brings you to the area of the fairgrounds near the member halls. There's usually someone directing cars for parking at this entrance -- especially on Friday when the crowd reaches its peak.  

The Highland Ave entrance is the newest entrance that is most convenient for parking near the big Orange Hall (formerly called the Toyota Pavilion -- which recently became the Utz Pavilion I believe) -- primarily a dealer hall.

There's also an entrance or two along the south side of the fairgrounds on Market St, but I think that's most convenient for the RV parking areas located between Orange, Purple and Silver Halls.

Again... It's a big event... Don't get too overwhelmed by all these details.  Just get their safely, and have fun.  

David

Thanks to all for the traffic updates and driving tips.

Thinking I may just avoid that whole “side” and go up Route 15 and cut over on 30. I live outside of D.C. and usually head towards Baltimore and go up 83. The other way on 15N through Gettysburg is probably a little longer for me but it’s a nice drive in October and I’d avoid the construction zone(s).