Thurs., Dec. 17 – Wed., Dec. 23
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT ALL WEEK
Happy holidays to all my readers! The roads are decked with major gridlock: the city announced official Gridlock Alert Days for Thursday, Friday, and next Wednesday. Traffic volumes will be higher all over the city, especially at crossings in Lower Manhattan, including the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and the Battery and Holland tunnels. Use mass transit whenever possible.
Last-minute Christmas shoppers are going to be out in full force this weekend. Shopping areas throughout Lower Manhattan will be completely jammed from now through the New Year, including the shopping rows along Broadway and West Broadway in SoHo as well as Century 21 on Church St. Follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam for the more traffic updates through the holidays.
If you opt for the Holland Tunnel Sunday afternoon, you may find yourself colliding with drivers either going to or returning from the 1 p.m. Giants vs. Panthers game at Met Life Stadium. Also, keep in mind one New York-bound lane of the Holland will be closed overnight 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. both Wednesday and Thursday, and one Jersey-bound lane will be closed overnight 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. same days.
School’s almost out! Public schools kick off their winter recess Thursday, December 24, and return to school Monday, January 4. The morning commute should lighten up a bit during that time, but will be offset by extra holiday traffic.
On West St./Route 9A, one lane will close in both directions from Vesey St. to West Thames St. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Thames St. between Greenwich St. and Trinity Pl., Fletcher St. between Front and South Sts., and Dutch St. between Fulton and John Sts. will all be closed through the end of December.
Final words of advice: Give yourself 90 minutes of extra time if you’re catching a flight — roads leading to our three airports are going to be completely snarled with traffic — and consider using mass transit as an alternative. Safe travels, Lower Manhattanites!
The New Year is just around the corner! Prepare yourself for traffic in 2016 with Gridlock Sam’s 2016 Parking Calendar. Twitter followers and e-Newsletter subscribers get access to a free download link. Follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam and visit www.GridlockSam.com to sign up for my e-Newsletter.
