Dates: Thursday, September 28 – Wednesday, October 4
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED SATURDAY FOR YOM KIPPUR.
With two presidential visits in a week now behind us, Lower Manhattan can take a deep breath. Nonetheless, the usual football and festivals, as well as Yom Kippur, will mean some traffic turbulence. Here’s what to expect this week:
Prepare for Yom Kippur backups on approaches to Lower Manhattan crossings out of the city on Friday starting early afternoon, as Jews head home well before sundown to get their last meal in before a day-long fast begins and before heading to Kol Nidre services at synagogues (roughly 6:15 p.m.). I’m expecting dense traffic at the Williamsburg and Brooklyn bridges starting as early as 2 p.m. Additional early afternoon congestion will form around the Holland and Battery tunnels.
On Saturday, the Bleecker Street Festival will take over Bleecker between Sixth and Seventh avenues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
With the NFL regular season now in full swing, football fans will once again hit MetLife Stadium for a 1 p.m. showdown between the Jets and the Jaguars on Sunday, and we know what that means. Downtowners should prepare for delays at the Holland Tunnel to pick up starting around 11 a.m., as backups at the Lincoln Tunnel divert gamegoers. This means delays along Canal, Varick, and Hudson street entrances to the tunnel, and beyond. You can expect New York-bound fan traffic headaches to start around 5 p.m.
The annual NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) Walk will bring supporters to Foley Square at 9 a.m. on Sunday. Participants will proceed from there, across the Brooklyn Bridge, impacting its Centre Street entrance.
On Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Deepavali Festival as will close Water Street between Fulton and Fletcher streets, and John Street between Water and Front streets.
On Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Center for Migration Studies will hold a gala in Battery Park. With honorees including Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand in attendance, drivers may experience some delays on South Street.
Dear readers,
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Transit Sam
For the latest information on what to expect on the roads, follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam and subscribe to my weekly e-Newsletter on my website, www.gridlocksam.com.
