Ongoing construction projects means Downtown drivers are going to have to stay on their toes: Work zones on the Brooklyn Bridge have shifted for the next month, so Brooklyn-bound drivers won’t have to follow contraflow routing during nightly construction but can cross the East River using the normal route. In addition, Water Street between Beekman and Peck Slip is now closed to traffic for water main work, which will continue in phases through late 2012. For late-breaking construction traffic impacts and updates, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GridlockSam.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour and actress Scarlett Johansson will host a celebrity-filled fundraiser for President Obama in the Meatpacking District at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, snarling traffic around Gansevoort and Greenwich Streets.
The Gowanus Expressway’s southbound exit to Prospect Expressway will be closed from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. through Friday. Drivers should use the Hamilton Avenue exit and follow posted detours.
One lane of the Holland Tunnel in each direction will be closed nightly from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through Friday morning.
DISCOUNT!
My 2012 Gridlock Sam Parking Calendar is now on sale at www.gridlocksam.com. Now, you can buy one for $4, two for $8, five for $15 or 10 for $25 (plus $2 shipping and handling on all orders). Please send payment to Gridlock Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, NY, NY 10012.
From the Mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
My six-year-old son really likes the old ‘C’ subway cars because he thinks that they run faster than the new ones. His hypothesis is that since the old cars make more noise when they run, they must be running faster.
He has a few questions: Do the old ‘C’ trains run faster than the new cars? Where do the they end up after they are retired? And are there any events where he could ride them?
Thanks for your indulgence,
Balaji
Dear Balaji,
While I like your son’s theory, the old ‘C’ trains aren’t actually any speedier than the new cars. The ‘C’ line’s older R-32 cars have five years of service left in them, but there’s no telling where they’ll end up upon retirement: Some of the 1960s Redbird cars became man-made reefs at the bottom of the Delaware River! During the holiday season, NYC Transit surprises straphangers with pop-up vintage railcar service along regular routes. The Transit Museum also periodically offers day-long “Nostalgia Rides” in vintage cars to destinations like Coney Island. For details about both options, sign up for Transit Museum newsletters (https://www.patronmail.com/pmailweb/PatronSetup?oid=807).
Transit Sam
Confused about ever-changing traffic regulations and transit operations? Need winter driving tips or help navigating around Lower Manhattan? Want to know when the President next comes to town, or which line is next for the M.T.A.’s new FASTRACK program? If so, please send me an e-mail at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012.
