BY SAM SCHWARTZ |
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED ON SAT., DEC. 8: Observation of the Immaculate Conception. Metered parking rules and other parking rules remain in effect.
Transit Sam: Hanukkah traffic this weekend
Friday is a Gridlock Alert Day—use mass transit if you can. The Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel and the Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges will be jammed starting 3 p.m. Friday as hordes of people travel into and out of the city to join their loved ones for the first night of Hanukkah on Saturday.
If you take the Holland Tunnel Sunday evening, you’ll collide with drivers returning from their Hanukkah visits as well as and Giants fans returning from a 4:15 p.m. game against the New Orleans Saints at Met Life Stadium.
Shopping areas throughout the city will be jammed now through the New Years including J & R Music World on Park Row by the Brooklyn Bridge and shopping rows along Broadway and West Broadway in Soho.
Keep up with the holiday gridlock at www.twitter/gridlocksam.
Chambers Street will be closed between West Broadway and Greenwich Street overnight 11 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday. Chambers Street will also be closed between West Broadway and Church Street overnight 8 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday. Horatio Street will be closed between Washington Street and the Joe DiMaggio Highway 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. And E. 2nd Street will be closed between Second Avenue and First Avenue 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
The R train was extended last week to Whitehall St., but still no service into Brooklyn.
From the mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
I park in a garage on William Street near Hanover Square. What would be the best way to get to the Holland Tunnel from there at around 4 p.m.?
Marc, Bowling Green
Dear Marc,
I’d go north on William Street, take a left on Fulton until you hit Church and turn right. Go north on Church and take it into Sixth Avenue. If Watts Street looks open (2 blocks north of Canal) take a left to the tunnel. If it is jammed (most of the time) go four more blocks to Van Dam to Varick and turn left. Van Dam will be relatively free, but there’s no way to avoid the Varick Street jam for the last few blocks.
Transit Sam
Traffic and parking questions? Need help navigating around Lower Manhattan? E-mail me at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, NY 10012.
