Dates: Thurs., Sept. 21 – Wed., Sept. 27
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR ROSH HASHANAH
POTUS alert! President Trump will leave town on Thursday, but not for long. Thursday afternoon he hits the road, and to Downtowners that road is the FDR. He departs via the Wall Street Heliport which means shutdowns on the FDR, South Street, and the Battery Underpass. Drivers, stick to the West Side Highway.
On Tuesday, he’ll be back for another quick visit in the Big Apple, this time for just a few hours to attend an RNC event, with a Wall Street Helipad landing in the late afternoon, and from there closing the FDR from the Battery to Midtown. He’ll return to the helipad for a mid-evening departure that same day. Again, his presence will have the same impacts as above but in both the afternoon and evening.
Of course, the president’s visits aren’t all Lower Manhattanites have in store this week:
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run and Festival, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, will send runners through lower Manhattan, between Warren Street and the Battery, and between West and Hudson streets, also shutting down the Battery Tunnel. Once they’re through the tunnel, they’ll head into Red Hook, Brooklyn. This will likely cause turbulence at the Brooklyn Bridge.
On Sunday, the Jets will battle the Dolphins at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium. Lincoln Tunnel traffic will spill over to the Holland, causing backups at its entrances, and along Hudson, Varick, and Canal streets, starting around 11 a.m. Return traffic into Manhattan should pick up around 5 p.m. Fans can avoid the jams by taking New Jersey Transit to Secaucus Junction, and from there, a free rail shuttle to the stadium.
The San Gennaro Festival will continue this weekend, closing Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston streets, and Grand and Hester streets between Mott and Centre streets from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
On Saturday, the Chelsea Fall Pop-Up Fair will close Eighth Avenue between 14th and 23rd streets from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., affecting Sixth and Tenth avenues.
The Seaport Festival, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will close Water Street between Broad and Fulton streets.
Remember that Rosh Hashanah will mean public schools close Thursday and Friday, so drive extra carefully and look out for excited kids in the streets.
As always, for the latest traffic news, follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam.
