Thurs., Feb. 19 – Wed., Feb. 25
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING IS SUSPENDED THURSDAY FOR ASIAN LUNAR NEW YEAR
Sunday is the 16th Lunar New Year Parade in Lower Manhattan. The following streets will have rolling closures between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.: Mott St. between Broome St. and Chatham Sq., Chatham Sq. between Mott St. and East Broadway, East Broadway between Chatham Sq. and Forsyth St., Eldridge St. between Division and Hester Sts., Hester St. between Eldridge and Forsyth Sts., Forsyth St. between Hester and Delancey Sts.
All Manhattan-bound lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, midnight Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, midnight Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday, and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday throughWednesday nights. During these overnight closures, inbound traffic will be rerouted to the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges, as well as the Battery Tunnel. That means more traffic on Canal, Delancey, and West Sts.
On West St./Route 9A, one southbound lane from Vesey St. to West Thames St. will be closed 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Thursday and Friday.
In tunnel news, one New York-bound tube of the Lincoln Tunnel will be closed 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. That will drive inbound traffic south to the Holland Tunnel, in which one New York-bound lane and one New Jersey-bound lane will be closed during the same period. Expect late night delays.
From the mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
Can you get a ticket for entering a crosswalk after the countdown clock begins? I have tried in vain to locate the N.Y. or N.Y.C. traffic laws which specify when a pedestrian is entitled to enter the street. Is it only when the walk sign shows white light, or also when the countdown numbers are flashing? I would appreciate it if you could enlighten me.
Mary, Manhattan
Dear Mary,
Yes, you can get a ticket for entering a crosswalk after the countdown clock has begun because the red flashing hand starts simultaneously in N.Y.C. (not in D.C. and some other places). Provision 4-03 (c) (2) of New York City’s Vehicle and Traffic Law states that “pedestrians facing [a flashing DON’T WALK, red hand symbol or red standing figure] are warned that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway and no pedestrian shall enter or cross the roadway.” Since the countdown clock is accompanied by the flashing red hand, entering the crosswalk during the countdown is technically jaywalking.
If you are already in the crosswalk when the DON’T WALK or countdown starts flashing it is okay to continue crossing to the other side or to a median, if there is one. The flashing DON’T WALK really means DON’T START to cross.
Transit Sam
Email traffic, transit and parking questions to transitsam@downtownexpress.com. For the latest in traffic news, follow @GridlockSam or visit his website.
