GRIDLOCK ALERT: UN General Assembly Rules Out Driving into Manhattan This Week

By Yehudit Garmaise

With the United Nations General Assembly scheduled to meet in Manhattan from Monday to Friday this week, drivers who must head into the city should choose public transportation, advises the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT).

The influx of people in town for the meeting of the UN General Assembly will bring “extensive street closures and traffic delays,” the DOT reported. 

Midtown traffic speeds are the slowest of the year during the U.N. General Assembly, which can cause midtown traffic to slow from 6 mph to 4 mph, traffic data show.

"We strongly encourage New Yorkers and those in the region to travel by transit every day of the year, but it’s especially important during Gridlock Alert days,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "The UN General Assembly is a great event each year the city is proud to host, but New Yorkers should do their part in minimizing congestion and seeking alternative modes of transportation.”

This  year’s Gridlock Alert Days are:

• Monday, Sept. 18
• Tuesday, Sept. 19
• Wednesday, Sept. 20
• Thursday, Sept. 21
• Friday, Sept. 22
• Wednesday, Nov. 15
• Thursday, Nov. 16
• Tuesday, Nov. 21
• Wednesday, Nov. 29
• Thursday, Nov. 30
• Friday, Dec. 1
• Tuesday, Dec. 5
• Wednesday, Dec. 6
• Thursday, Dec. 7
• Friday, Dec. 8
• Tuesday, Dec. 12
• Wednesday, Dec. 13
• Thursday, Dec. 14
• Friday, Dec. 15