Thurs., Oct. 1 – Wed., Oct. 7
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Obama has come and gone, but the U.N. General Assembly continues on through Saturday and will have some impacts on Lower Manhattan traffic. There will be domino traffic effects as drivers avoid the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and opt for the Williamsburg Bridge adding slowdowns on Delancey St. For more updates on street closures, demos, and motorcades follow me on Twitter.
The Bike MS Tour on Sunday is expecting 5,000 participants this year. Lower Manhattan will see traffic impacts from rolling closures on the West Side Highway, F.D.R. Drive, Henry Hudson Parkway and the Holland Tunnel between 5:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The tour will start at 6:30 a.m. and head down West St., closing 54th St. to Canal St, and Canal St. will be closed to the Holland Tunnel entrance. The shorter, 30- mile route will close the northbound F.D.R. Drive starting at the Battery Park Underpass up across Harlem River Dr. to 10th Ave. and along W. 218th St. to Seaman Ave. back down to Riverside Dr. ending at 56th St.
The Sukkot Block Party and Family Festival will close Duane St. between Church St. and West Broadway 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Deepaval Festival 2015 will close Water St. between Fulton and Fletcher Sts., John St. between Front and Water Sts., and Front St. between John St. and Maiden Ln. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Sons of Italy Freedom Block Party will close Liberty St. between Broadway and Trinity Pl. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Stone Street Pedestrian Mall will close Stone St. between Hanover Sq. and Broad St., and Mill Ln. between Stone and South William Sts., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day this week.
The Manhattan-bound Brooklyn Bridge will close 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, midnight Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, and midnight Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday. Drivers headed into the city will take the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges and the Battery Tunnel instead, making for extra traffic on Canal, Delancey, and West Sts.
One tube of the Lincoln Tunnel will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. During the same time in the Holland Tunnel, one New York-bound lane and one New Jersey-bound lane will close. The Lincoln closure will send traffic down to the Holland, which will itself be slow for the lane closure. Expect delays into Canal St. Thursday night.
On West St./Route 9A, one southbound lane will close between West Thames and Vesey Sts. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
From the mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
I was traveling at the Queens Midtown Tunnel and there was a sign saying “HLC tunnel closed.” I’ve been driving in New York City for 50 years; I have no idea what the HLC tunnelis. Do you know?
T, Lower Manhattan
Dear T,
I was just as puzzled as you were the first time I saw “HLC”; it was at the Triborough Bridge. I thought I had read wrong but the next time I went over the bridge I saw the same thing. I finally figured it out HLC are the initials for former Governor Hugh Leo Carey. I don’t know anyone who calls it the Carey Tunnel let alone the HLC. I implore the M.T.A. to go back to Battery Tunnel until such time, if ever, HLC becomes as recognizable as RFK. By the way, ever hear NYC DOT say the JDH has two lanes closed? First reader to identify JDH wins an autographed copy of my latest book, “Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and The Fall of Cars.”
Transit Sam
Email your traffic, transit and parking questions to transitsam@downtownexpress.com.
