Street closures: Gridlock Alert as President Biden arrives for UN General Assembly
The zone to watch out for is East 42nd Street up to 57th Street, between 1st and 5th avenues.
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- President Joe Biden arrived in New York City Tuesday, making a later-than-usual appearance at the United Nations General Assembly after attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in London Monday.
American presidents historically go second, following Brazil, in addressing the 193-member delegation on the opening day of the annual debate.
While the session opened Tuesday, however, Wednesday will bring the U.S. and Iran under the same roof after five months of fruitless negotiations to reinstate a 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran's president will speak second Wednesday, while Biden will speak seventh. There are presently no plans for the two to meet while there.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is also scheduled to speak Wednesday, virtually in a pre recorded video. The General Assembly gave Zelenskiy an exemption from appearing in person "due to ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine."
Russia was among seven countries to oppose, saying is is always in favor of "in-person diplomacy at the UN," and accusing Western counterparts of double standards.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss will also address the body Wednesday.
While in New York City, Biden will also participate in a bilateral meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, host a bilateral meeting with Truss, and host and deliver remarks at the Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will also host a reception at the American Museum of Natural History.
On Thursday, the president will participate in a Democratic National Committee reception before returning to the White House.
A Gridlock Alert remains in effect for the largest United Nations General Assembly in years, with detours, road closures, and checkpoints across Manhattan's East Side all week long.
Everyone is urged to take public transportation if possible.
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," NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth 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."
Here are the announced street closures:
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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