ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED WED., SEPT. 26 FOR YOM KIPPUR AND MON., OCT. 1 AND TUES., OCT. 2 FOR SUKKOT. NO-PARKING AT METER SIGNS AND UNCONDITIONAL NO-STOPPING AND NO-STANDING SIGNS ARE ALL STILL IN EFFECT.
Friday is going to be hell on wheels! A bike demonstration commemorating a bike ban 25 years ago will meet at West Houston Street and Sixth Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Bicyclists en masse will make their way up Sixth Avenue at around 7 p.m. to Central Park South, and then head their way back south, using mostly Fifth Avenue, all the way down to Cooper Union’s Great Hall (on Third Avenue between Saint Mark’s Place and Seventh Avenue) at about 8:30 p.m. While there will be no official street closures, expect traffic to clog up along Lower Manhattan’s Sixth and Fifth Avenues between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the much anticipated Barclays Center opening! Downtowners: If you’re planning to head to Brooklyn this weekend, steer clear of driving anywhere near Downtown Brooklyn Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jay-Z will be performing at the center at 8 p.m. Friday through Monday, as well as Wed., Oct. 3 through Sat., Oct. 6. More than 20,000 fans are expected to attend the shows, so take public transit. Sunday will also feature the Atlantic Antic — the biggest street fair of the year in Brooklyn — which will close Atlantic Avenue between Hicks Street and Fourth Avenue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run and Festival closes a swath of Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Expect lane closures on the following streets:
- Battery Park underpass
- Brooklyn-Battery tunnel (entire length)
- West Street between Battery Place and Warren Street
- West Thames Street between West Street and Dead End (Battery Park City Esplanade)
- South End Avenue between West Thames and Liberty Streets
- Liberty Street between West Street and the Battery Park City Esplanade
- Murray Street between North End Avenue and West Street
- Warren Street between West Street and River Terrace
- North End Avenue between Warren and Vesey Streets
- Vesey Street between West Street and River Terrace
- River Terrace between Warren and Vesey Streets
From the mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
Recently, the Downtown bus stop for the X15 Express has been shared with tour buses that are loading and unloading passengers there. The tour buses are parking at the stop at Church Street near Rector Street. The drivers leave the buses idling with the exhaust pumping right into the faces of the commuters waiting for the express bus. To add to the problem, because the tour buses usually come in pairs, the people waiting for the X15 can’t see or been seen by the bus driver, and often have to walk out into the middle of the street to board the bus. What can I do?
Karen, New York
Dear Karen,
Tour buses should not block the bus stop. They are allowed to stop momentarily to pick up and unload passengers, but if they’re pulling into the bus stop for more than five minutes, then they are in violation of parking in a no-standing zone, and you can contact the local precinct to make them aware of this situation. I would also suggest contacting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by dialing 5-1-1 (when you get to the menu, choose “comments and concerns”).
Transit Sam
Need driving tips or help navigating around Lower Manhattan? If so, please send me an e-mail to TransitSam@downtownexpress.com or write to Transit Sam, 611 Broadway, Suite 415, New York, N.Y. 10012. Follow me at www.twitter.com/GridlockSam.
