Skip below to see a map of each driver's route, according to color.

$15.50
29min
“It was the easiest. We were close to Avenue C. I figured, Take the FDR drive. The only time we hit traffic was on 42nd Street, but we did get right on and right off. If we would’ve gone another way, we would’ve hit traffic on Sixth or Eighth Avenue. Penn Station and 34th Street have a lot of traffic.”
The takeaway: This was the longest trip of all. If you need to save time, skip the FDR.

$16.70
27min
“The big thing is to avoid the traffic from Union Square.”
The takeaway: He’s right, but all those little turns cost us cash.

$13.90
20min
“Ninth Avenue after 42nd Street is the easiest way to go, all the way to 14th Street.”
The takeaway: Abilebou considers himself an “expert” in midtown traffic; make sure your driver is similarly proud.

$16.30
28min
“The rule is that you go the fastest way, not the shortest.”
The takeaway: He took nearly the same route as Islam but got us there ten minutes later.

$13.90
22min
“When I start, I look wherever there is less traffic. And Broadway isn’t bad.”
The takeaway: Try asking your driver to abandon his normal route (and logic) and just follow the empty streets—it “works for me,” says Yassine.

$13.10
18min
“If you are going farther, large streets and highways are always faster.”
The takeaway: Islam took Eighth Avenue and 14th Street—normally traffic-heavy zones—but got us there the fastest and cheapest.

Download a similar investigation of cab routes between the West Village and the Manhattan Bridge here.