Thurs., Nov. 26 – Wed., Dec. 2
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING IS SUSPENDED THURSDAY FOR THANKSGIVING
Happy Thanksgiving! Expect a cornucopia of traffic this holiday weekend: gas prices are down, air travel is up, and subways are crowded as always, meaning lots of folks will be traveling to and from the city. Enjoy your day(s) off, and be prepared with a blow-by-blow description of what to expect if you’re driving:
Early Thursday morning traffic will be a breeze, but by 1 p.m. the Holland Tunnel will be jammed again. The trick is the return trip in the evening. If you can convince your host to start dinner early so you hit the Holland by 7 p.m., you’ll be fine — that’s when Transit Sam will be making his return to the city.
On Thanksgiving Day, most parking rules are suspended: alternate side parking, meters, and any sign except those with the “Anytime” designation. That means signs such as “No Parking Anytime” are still in effect while signs like “No Parking 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday” are suspended.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which runs 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (with closures lasting until 3 p.m.) will make for turkey torpor in Midtown. The parade ends at 34th St. and Seventh Ave., and the delays will ripple down to Varick St.
Remember, on Thanksgiving Thursday, subways and buses will run on a Sunday schedule.
But beware! Friday is a Summons Alert Day! More summonses are issued on Black Friday than any other day of the year. While it seems like parking rules should be suspended for a long holiday weekend, it isn’t so: all rules are still in effect on Friday. Feed that meter!
If you’re driving back to town on Sunday, brace yourself for some of the worst traffic jams. Sunday is one of the busiest airport, train and bus days of the year with back-ups on all roads leading back to lower Manhattan by 5 p.m.
Jets play the Dolphins 1 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Fan traffic after the game will add to the Thanksgiving return and clog up the Lincoln Tunnel, sending drivers down to the Holland. Expect slowdowns before and after the game.
On the Brooklyn Bridge, all Manhattan-bound lanes will close 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights. That means more inbound traffic on the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges and in the Battery Tunnel, and on Canal, Delancey, and West Sts., respectively.
Gridlock Sam’s 2016 Parking Calendar will be coming out soon! Follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam for details.
