NYC welcomes UN General Assembly
The 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly is descending on New York City this week, meaning a whole lot of changes and disruptions for New Yorkers as over 140 world leaders arrive in Manhattan.
NEW YORK CITY – Major traffic and delays are expected around Midtown, as the high-level week of the UN General Assembly gets underway.
JUMP TO: STREET CLOSURES l LIVE TRAFFIC MAP l GRIDLOCK ALERT DAYS
If you live or work on the east side of Manhattan, be prepared for street closures, detours and a lot of gridlock traffic.
Checkpoints and barricades were in place overnight to prepare for the arrival of over 140 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs, who are descending on NYC to address global challenges like climate change, artificial intelligence and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Here’s what you need to know for this week, including a list of street closures, a LIVE traffic map and a look at the rest of this year’s gridlock alert days.
The following streets are closed, according to the NYPD:
- 1st Avenue (upper roadway) closed with managed access from 42nd street to 49th Street. 1st Avenue tunnel (lower roadway) will remain open to passenger vehicles and MTA buses only.
- 42nd Street between the FDR and 2nd Avenue closed with managed access. (FDR 42nd street exit ramp will open after 1900 hours for west bound traffic only.)
- 43rd Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
- 44th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
- 45th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
- 46th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
- 48th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR.
“Simply put, this is the largest annual gathering of global leaders on the planet,” said Patrick Freaney, special agent at the US Secret Service New York field office.
This week alone, there will be over 200 Secret Service protectees on site and special escort lanes to help get them around where they need to go.
Officials say there are no credible threats, but they will remain on high alert to ensure the safety of foreign dignitaries, New Yorkers and visitors.
“There are eyes and ears that we’ll be able to pick up any issues that we need to be made aware of, any suspicious activities,” said NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon.
In addition, the NYPD will be closely monitoring the area to make sure any protests over the Israel-Hamas war don’t get out of hand.
“As with any significant event, we strongly encourage mass transit, or if possible, please avoid the area altogether due to the high level of security associated with this event. Intermediate pedestrian freezes and traffic shutdowns will occur,” said Philip Rivera, chief of the NYPD Transportation Bureau.
UN General Assembly 2024 dates
The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, continuing through Saturday and ending Monday, Sept. 30.
President Biden schedule
One notable moment at Tuesday’s opening assembly meeting: President Joe Biden’s likely final major appearance on the world stage, a platform he has tread upon and reveled in for decades.
UN General Assembly brings street closures
Dozens of world leaders will gather in NYC for the United Nations General Assembly. FOX 5 NY’s Briella Tomassetti has the details.
According to his schedule, the president is expected to arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens around 4:05 p.m. Monday.
Complete list of NYC Gridlock Alert Days for 2024
Meanwhile, the New York City Department of Transportation released a list of 20 Gridlock Alert Days through the end of the year:
- Monday, September 23, 2024
- Tuesday, September 24, 2024
- Wednesday, September 25, 2024
- Thursday, September 26, 2024
- Friday, September 27, 2024
- Wednesday, November 20, 2024
- Thursday, November 21, 2024
- Friday, November 22, 2024
- Tuesday, November 26, 2024
- Tuesday, December 3, 2024
- Wednesday, December 4, 2024
- Thursday, December 5, 2024
- Friday, December 6, 2024
- Tuesday, December 10, 2024
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024
- Thursday, December 12, 2024
- Friday, December 13, 2024
- Tuesday, December 17, 2024
- Wednesday, December 18, 2024
- Thursday, December 19, 2024
For more information, click HERE.
