New York – It’ll be the Gridlock Alert Day of the decade today. Tree-lighting day is always an official Gridlock Alert Day, but with a young singer and President Obama both here as well, and a matinee day to boot, miles of frozen streets await anyone crazy enough to attempt driving into Manhattan.
The activity begins this morning with two performances at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. As the 2 p.m. performance ends, the crowds will start converging on Rockefeller Center. Fifth and Sixth Aves. from 48th to 51st Sts. will be closed as early as 4 p.m. and remain closed until after 11 p.m. The brunt of the diverted traffic will shift to Park, Madison and Eighth Aves.
The Rockefeller Center subway stop on the B, D, F and M lines will be overcrowded. I’d recommend the E or M to Fifth Ave. and 53rd St. or the N or R to Broadway at 49th St.
The number of open streets continues to dwindle as a fund-raising jaunt by Obama on Wednesday night makes a miserable day for drivers even worse. Air Force One is scheduled to land at Kennedy Airport between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Shortly after, the President will board a chopper bound for Wall St.
From the Wall St. Heliport, the President will then motorcade up the FDR Drive toward midtown, which means freezes in both directions below 63rd St. Between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., he’ll attend a series of fund-raisers, including one at the Sheraton at Seventh and 52nd St. and one on the upper East Side in the 60s and 70s near Fifth and Madison Aves. Expect all avenues east of Seventh to be frozen during this time and as the presidential motorcade moves about.
The FDR Drive will be frozen once again as the President motorcades back to Wall St. for the chopper to JFK and his flight back to Washington. The all-clear won’t come until after 11 p.m.
{Gridlock Sam/Matzav.com Newscenter}
