Narrative:

During landing rollout runway 4R; was given instructions to exit taxiway K and hold short of runway 4L behind a B757. As we approached the turnoff; it was obvious that there was not enough room behind the B757 to allow us to clear our runway and get beyond its hold short line. We told tower the situation and continued down the runway to the next turnoff; as instructed. Again we were told to hold behind another aircraft already holding short of the parallel runway; on Y; an emb-145. As we made the turnoff and came up behind it; we could see once again there wasn't enough room to exit completely clear of the runway hold short lines. I looked and saw a B727 on short final for our runway; so with no time to coordinate with ATC and seeing taxiway left clear of traffic; I turned down it and got our aircraft clear of our landing runway; finally. We held there and told ATC the action we took and why; and they approved of it. ATC eventually gave us amended instructions to continue our taxi across runway 4L and the rest of the way to our gate. I couldn't believe we were given instructions once on the ground that couldn't be complied with. Darkness may have contributed to the problem. I was very surprised that ATC didn't seem to be familiar enough with their own airport layout to know that there is insufficient room between the runways' hold short lines for two jets nose-to-tail. Why don't they know this? If there really is room; then the aircraft already holding were not pulled up close enough to the runway 4L hold short line; and ATC should have done something about it ahead of time. If they want to hold all the runway 4R landers short of runway 4L for multiple departures; they need to plan where to put them and give instructions that are doable. With so little room between runways; though; they will quickly run out of room and have no choice but to cross the landing traffic. I think they pushed it too far in our case; allowing departure capacity to trump runway safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT CAPTAIN REPORTS UNABLE TO HOLD BETWEEN RWYS 4R AND L AT EWR WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE TXWY.

Narrative: DURING LANDING ROLLOUT RWY 4R; WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO EXIT TAXIWAY K AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L BEHIND A B757. AS WE APPROACHED THE TURNOFF; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM BEHIND THE B757 TO ALLOW US TO CLEAR OUR RWY AND GET BEYOND ITS HOLD SHORT LINE. WE TOLD TOWER THE SITUATION AND CONTINUED DOWN THE RUNWAY TO THE NEXT TURNOFF; AS INSTRUCTED. AGAIN WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD BEHIND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ALREADY HOLDING SHORT OF THE PARALLEL RWY; ON Y; AN EMB-145. AS WE MADE THE TURNOFF AND CAME UP BEHIND IT; WE COULD SEE ONCE AGAIN THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ROOM TO EXIT COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY HOLD SHORT LINES. I LOOKED AND SAW A B727 ON SHORT FINAL FOR OUR RWY; SO WITH NO TIME TO COORDINATE WITH ATC AND SEEING TAXIWAY L CLEAR OF TRAFFIC; I TURNED DOWN IT AND GOT OUR AIRCRAFT CLEAR OF OUR LANDING RWY; FINALLY. WE HELD THERE AND TOLD ATC THE ACTION WE TOOK AND WHY; AND THEY APPROVED OF IT. ATC EVENTUALLY GAVE US AMENDED INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE OUR TAXI ACROSS RWY 4L AND THE REST OF THE WAY TO OUR GATE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS ONCE ON THE GROUND THAT COULDN'T BE COMPLIED WITH. DARKNESS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT ATC DIDN'T SEEM TO BE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THEIR OWN AIRPORT LAYOUT TO KNOW THAT THERE IS INSUFFICIENT ROOM BETWEEN THE RWYS' HOLD SHORT LINES FOR TWO JETS NOSE-TO-TAIL. WHY DON'T THEY KNOW THIS? IF THERE REALLY IS ROOM; THEN THE AIRCRAFT ALREADY HOLDING WERE NOT PULLED UP CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE RWY 4L HOLD SHORT LINE; AND ATC SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT AHEAD OF TIME. IF THEY WANT TO HOLD ALL THE RWY 4R LANDERS SHORT OF RWY 4L FOR MULTIPLE DEPARTURES; THEY NEED TO PLAN WHERE TO PUT THEM AND GIVE INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE DOABLE. WITH SO LITTLE ROOM BETWEEN RWYS; THOUGH; THEY WILL QUICKLY RUN OUT OF ROOM AND HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CROSS THE LANDING TRAFFIC. I THINK THEY PUSHED IT TOO FAR IN OUR CASE; ALLOWING DEPARTURE CAPACITY TO TRUMP RWY SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.