NYPD announces street closures, security plans for UN General Assembly in New York City

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Drivers can expect street closures and traffic delays on Manhattan's East Side starting Monday, as the United Nations General Assembly returns to a fully-in person event.

At least 140 heads of state are expected, nearly twice as many as last year, when 80 attended in person as the world rebounded from COVID-19.

"This is the largest U.N. event that we've had a number of years," NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey said. "More heads of state to protect, more staffing needed, more disruption, more motorcades moving around than we had last year."

Many world leaders addressed the General Assembly virtually for the past two years due to the pandemic, but they are now being required to address the body in person.

However, the General Assembly voted to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the annual gathering of world leaders next week with a pre-recorded video.

The decision was adopted by a vote of 101-7 with 19 abstentions, including China. The seven countries voting "no" were Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria.

Ukraine's U.N. mission had argued that Zelenskyy "cannot participate in-person at the meetings of the General Assembly due to ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine."

Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow was always in favor of "in-person diplomacy at the UN," but he accused his Western counterparts of double standards.

"This is at a time where the representatives of African countries, who frequently encounter similar difficulties when it comes to arriving in New York...have been refused this similar right," Polyanskiy told the General Assembly on Friday.

NYPD officials said the war in Ukraine and other hot spots around the globe are factored into their security plans. There are no specific or credible threats, but Corey said all preparations are being made to keep people safe.

"We are asking people to be a little extra vigilant in the coming week," he said.

Street closures and frozen zones will be in place starting Monday, but unlike previous years, when world leaders slowly streamed in over the weekend, the city is expecting a flood of diplomats to start arriving all at once Monday, following Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

"That frozen zone, that perimeter, that starts to go up on Monday, so that's when we're really concentrating, is from Monday forward," Corey said. "We do have people in town right now. They've already begun arriving, and we are protecting them. But those really, the big week, if you will, starts on Monday."

The NYPD is encouraging everyone to use public transportation if possible. Here are the announced street closures:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Beginning at approximately 10 p.m. the following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48 Street will remain open

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--48th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue

--49th Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of each day's session.

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5 a.m.:

--42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

--42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--48th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue

--49th Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of each day's session.

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5 a.m.:

--42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

--42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.

The FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures:

--Southbound at 63rd Street

--Northbound at South Ferry

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--48th Street from Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue

--49th Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of each day's session.

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5 a.m.:

--42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

--42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.

The FDR DRIVE will be subject to intermittent closures:

--Southbound at 63rd Street

--Northbound at South Ferry

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of each day's session.

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5 a.m.:

--42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

--42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

The following streets will have one traffic lane dedicated to emergency vehicles for the duration of the General Assembly:

--42nd Street from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue

--57th Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue

--2nd Avenue from 41st Street to 57th Street

The following streets in the vicinity of the United Nations will continued to be closed to vehicular traffic:

--1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street. The tunnel underpass from 41st Street to 48th Street will remain open for passenger cars. Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access until the end of each day's session.

--44th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--45th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

--46th Street from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue

The following will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at approximately 5 a.m.:

--42nd Street from the FDR Drive to 2nd Avenue

--42nd Street Exit and Entrance Ramps of the FDR Drive

Please note: These areas will reopen each evening after the day's session.

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 2022

The following streets will have managed access and no vehicle parking permitted:

--49th Street from 3rd Avenue to Lexington Avenue

--50th Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

--51st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue

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