Demo alert! Occupy Wall Street is planning a slew of protests in Midtown this Wednesday. Demonstrations begin at 9 a.m. outside corporations along 42nd St., at 59th St. at Fifth Ave., and at 61st St. at Madison Ave. At noon, all the protesters will gather at 42nd St. and Sixth Ave. in front of Bank of America. If you must head to Midtown, take transit.
President Obama is coming to New York this Thursday for four fundraisers. Mr. Obama will probably helicopter to Randall’s Island from JFK around 4 p.m. He should cross the RFK-Triborough Bridge around 4:30 p.m., freezing traffic in both directions, and head down the FDR, temporarily closing it from 125th St. to 63rd St. He’ll head crosstown for an Upper West Side fundraiser, then motorcade to ABC Carpet & Home (Broadway at 19th St.) around 6 p.m. for two more fundraisers. Expect freezes on the FDR between 63rd St. and 23rd St., and extended closures on Broadway from 23rd St. to Union Sq. Around 9 p.m., the President will freeze the FDR en route to his final fundraiser on the Upper East Side. Mr. Obama will temporarily close the FDR and Triborough again getting back to his helicopter around 10:30 p.m. For more details, follow me at www.twitter.com/GridlockSam.
The MTA’s Fastrack repair work comes to Sixth Avenue this week. This means that there is no service along Sixth Avenue between West 4th St. and 57th St. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly through Friday morning. Downtowners can take the A, C, E, 1, 2, or 3 trains to within 1 or 2 blocks of any destination between West 4th and West 57th Sts. Two weeks later, it will be Eighth Avenue’s turn, meaning there will be no A or C service between 59th St. in Manhattan to Jay St.- MetroTech in Brooklyn (or E service between 50th St. and the World Trade Center) from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly Monday March 12th through Friday morning, March 17th. Go to www.mta.info for more details.
Also, Alternate Side Parking will be suspended on Thursday, March 8th for Purim, but all other parking regulations, including meters, will remain in effect.
Dear Transit Sam,
My wife has a handicap permit (blue, rearview mirror) and we thought this permit grants no special parking in NYC. But recently in your column, you seemed to indicate that the permit does grant some leniency. What are the rules for a permit in NYC?
Alfred via e-mail
Dear Alfred,
New York City issues two types of parking permits for those with disabilities: a New York State permit and a New York City permit. The NYS permit, which hangs off the rearview mirror, is only valid off-street, in designated handicap parking spots such as those in parking lots or on campuses. Special curbside parking privileges are only granted to those with NYC dashboard placard permits.
— Transit Sam
Got a question about parking regulations or upcoming construction? E-mail me at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012.
