Dates: Thurs., May 4–Wed., May 10
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES IN EFFECT ALL WEEK
POTUS alert! Today, Thursday, President Trump will arrive mid-afternoon in the Big Apple at the Wall Street Heliport. Via the FDR, he’ll go straight to midtown, shutting down the FDR all the way to 63rd Street, and will remain there until mid-evening.
In the height of rush hour, the motorcade will move back down the FDR, pass through the Battery Park Underpass, and up the West Side Highway to the Intrepid on 46th Street, closing the West Side all the way from the Battery to Midtown for the evening. At the end of the event, Trump will return to the Wall Street Heliport via the West Side and the Underpass, and leave NYC.
Trumplock will be widespread. When the motorcade is on the FDR, expect major delays entering the Brooklyn Bridge, especially from South Street and the FDR. That also means spillover traffic at the Manhattan Bridge, as well as jams on local streets and bridge entrances in the Civic Center area, including Broadway, Centre and Chambers streets, and beyond.
While highways are closed, local streets throughout Tribeca and Soho will take some heat, and that also means slowdowns at the Holland Tunnel. In short, with the motorcade passing through both the east and west sides, none of Lower Manhattan will be easy driving, so take transit for the day.
Also expect demonstrators to greet the president all over the city—most are planned in Midtown, but I expect Lower Manhattan crowds will also gather throughout the day. Follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam for up-to-date details.
Coincidentally, the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay, Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., will shut down the area bounded by Pearl and South Streets, and Fulton Street and Old Slip, right near the helipad.
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Middle Collegiate Church 2nd Avenue Festival will close Second Avenue between 6th and 14th Streets.
On Sunday, the Five Borough Bike Tour will cause a major traffic disruption in Lower Manhattan, primarily between the hours of 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. Bikers will gather from the Battery to Canal Street along Church Street, and on cross streets from Vesey to Lispenard Street between Broadway and West Broadway. Altogether, this will cause holdups at the Holland Tunnel and the Brooklyn Bridge.
The route itself begins on Sixth Avenue, shutting it down from Franklin Street to midtown. This will cause northbound cars to use Hudson Street instead, causing traffic all over the west side. For a full route map, you can visit my calendar at www.gridlocksam.com.
