What to expect from NYC’s UN General Assembly traffic nightmare

The United Nations Common Meeting is again -- and with it, bumper-to-bumper site visitors. Right here is the checklist of site visitors modifications.
AP Photograph/Mary Altaffer

The United Nations Common Meeting is again — and with it, bumper-to-bumper site visitors.

Bus routes can be disrupted and roads closed — typically with out discover — usually turning Midtown right into a gridlock nightmare for drivers all week whereas world leaders convene on First Avenue between forty second and forty eighth streets.

Common automotive speeds sink to 4 mph throughout Common Meeting week — dragging out a mile drive to twenty minutes, in response to metropolis transportation officers. The NYPD is urging New Yorkers and guests to take mass transit or bike since Midtown avenue site visitors is anticipated to grind to a halt.

President Biden is anticipated within the metropolis after he attends Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London. His speech, which usually would’ve been given Tuesday, is ready for Wednesday.

The United Nations Common Meeting is anticipated, as soon as once more, to deliver heavy site visitors to Manhattan this week.

Photograph by KENA BETANCUR/AFP through Getty Photographs

Transit and transportation officers warn that is what you possibly can count on by way of Sept. 23:

Automobile site visitors:

“Gridlock Alert Days” have been designated for Sept. 19-23 by town Division of Transportation.

Quite a few roadways can be closed starting at 10 p.m. Sunday, together with First Avenue between forty second and forty eighth streets, and forty fourth to forty sixth streets between First and Second avenues.

Parking can be permitted on forty eighth Avenue between Lexington and Park avenues, forty ninth Avenue from First to Fifth avenues, and fiftieth and 51st streets from Park to Madison avenues.

The FDR Drive can even be topic to “intermittent” unplanned closures, whereas different streets close by may have fewer site visitors lanes than regular.

A driver’s greatest wager is to keep away from Midtown completely — and definitely keep away from getting wherever close to Biden, who’s more likely to include a big entourage.

Site visitors restricted on twenty fourth Avenue in Manhattan because of the UN meeting.

Photograph by KENA BETANCUR/AFP through Getty Photographs

Quite a few roadways can be closed starting at 10 p.m. Sunday, together with First Avenue between forty second and forty eighth streets, and forty fourth to forty sixth streets between First and Second Avenues.

AP Photograph/Mary Altaffer

Bus service:

Riders ought to count on delays on all buses working in Manhattan, with detours on numerous routes:

• Northbound M15-SBS buses won't make stops on First Avenue from thirty ninth Avenue to Mitchell Place by way of Friday.
• M50 buses will start and finish at fiftieth Avenue and Second Avenue.
• Categorical bus stops can be closed all through Midtown. Verify the MTA’s deliberate service modifications web page on your route.

President Biden can be arriving in New York to offer a speech on the Common Meeting.

Xinhua Information Company through Getty Photographs

A brief bike lane can even run southbound on Second Avenue between East forty seventh and East forty first streets till 9 p.m.

G.N.Miller/NYPost

Bike lanes:

Town will stage momentary bike lanes on First and Second avenues for the week, because it has since 2019. Neither route requires a detour.

Cyclists northbound on First Avenue will move a safety checkpoint at thirty ninth Avenue, and can be capable of pedal as much as East forty ninth Avenue on a short lived bike lane by way of the First Avenue Tunnel from East fortieth Avenue. The lane will stay open across the clock.

A brief bike lane can even run southbound on Second Avenue between East forty seventh and East forty first streets till 9 p.m. The prevailing bike lane is put aside for dignitaries and emergency autos.

Each streets are “topic to safety checkpoints & site visitors freezes,” the DOT stated.