Street closures: Gridlock Alert as UN General Assembly convenes in New York City
The zone to watch out for is East 42nd Street up to 57th Street, between 1st and 5th avenues.
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- The largest United Nations General Assembly in years means the return of gridlock alerts surrounding the conference.
Nearly double the diplomats and world leaders are attending this year's General Assembly, which is underway and runs through Friday.
"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.
The average traffic speed through the area is expected to be about 4 miles an hour, which means anyone who needs to be in the area is better off walking.
There will be detours, road closures, and checkpoints across Manhattan's East Side all week long, and everyone is urged to take public transportation.
Most of the activity will take place in the areas between East 42nd Street and East 57th Street, and between First and Fifth avenues, where there will be closures all week long.
Despite there being no credible threats, police are monitoring worldwide events, and thousands of officers will be spread out throughout the city, including traffic officers.
"There will be hundreds of motorcades moving around the city, sometimes simultaneously," Corey said. "There will be security checkpoints. There'll be street closures, detours and other driving restrictions, including unannounced traffic freezes. It's a balance we strike each year because our plans are focused on minimizing, as much as possible, the impact all of this will have on New Yorkers, on the city's vehicular and pedestrian traffic."
The NYPD says it has worked on the security plans for about a year.
"If you must drive or make deliveries in the area, we advise you to avoid the area during the hours of 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. as we work tirelessly together to make sure the highest level of security and efficiency is done," NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Royster said. "We strongly encourage New Yorkers and visitors to plan ahead, use alternate routes and use mass transit if they plan to visit the areas,"
Here are the announced street closures:
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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