NYC BLIZZARD: Travel ban lifted; mayor urges caution on the roads

NYC’s travel ban has been lifted, permitting non-essential vehicles back on the roads as a blockbuster blizzard continues to rip through the Big Apple.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani eased the restrictions but urged drivers to use caution on the roads.

“The city’s travel ban is lifted, but conditions on the roads remain icy,” he said in a social media post. “If you choose to drive, please exercise caution, drive slowly and be mindful of others on the road.”

Mamdani put the travel ban in place Sunday night through Monday morning as part of the city’s local state of emergency per an executive order.

Local streets, highways, bridges, and tunnels were closed to non-essential vehicular traffic on Monday morning to ensure emergency responders and essential workers can traverse the roads. Most vehicle traffic, including but not limited to commercial trucks, electric bicycles, scooters, and mopeds, was prohibited during the ban.

Exempted from the ban were government and emergency response vehicles, public transit, utility and food, fuel and medical supply delivery vehicles. Transportation for essential workers and to hospitals and courts was permitted. The city also allowed nonprofits and private groups providing emergency relief to traverse streets.

Per the mayor’s executive order, any violation of the travel restrictions is a class B misdemeanor.

Due to the intensity of the storm, which has so far dropped at least 15 inches of snow on multiple National Weather Service reporting sites as of 7 a.m., the mayor urged New Yorkers to avoid non-essential travel.

“We continue to advise New Yorkers to stay safe and stay indoors as much as possible,” he said.

More than 5,000 Department of Sanitation (DSNY) trucks had plowed 99% of city streets as of 5:30 a.m. on Monday. Around 2,600 DSNY members have been on the job, working 12-hour shifts to clear the streets and highways, the mayor said.

“In addition to the snow, it is also these wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph that combine to make these conditions so hazardous for drivers and New Yorkers who are going outside,” the mayor said, underscoring the dangers of non-essential travel.

Meanwhile, food delivery app DoorDash suspended all service in NYC at least until 2 p.m. Monday. NYC subways and buses are running with severe delays; some lines, including the C and Staten Island Railway, were suspended as of Monday morning. Check mta.info for more information.

The mayor planned to update New Yorkers on the storm on Monday afternoon.