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Get ready for some gridlock today as the 78th session of the UN General Assembly officially kicked off.
Today through Friday, September 29, a large portion of the east side of Manhattan, right by the U.N.'s own headquarters, will basically be closed to traffic. According to officials, the average car speed in the area will be close to four miles per hour. That is all to say: skip the Uber, leave your own automobile at home and opt for public transport (read: the subway!) instead.
“The UN General Assembly is a great event each year the city is proud to host, but New Yorkers should do their part in minimizing congestion and seeking alternative modes of transportation,” New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in an official statement.
These NYC streets will be closed for the U.N. General Assembly
- FDR Drive between Whitehall Street and 42nd Street
- Area bounded by 60th Street on the north, 34th Street on the south, First Avenue on the east and Third Avenue on the west; All inclusive
- Area bounded by 54th Street on the north, 48th Street on the south, First Avenue on the east and Madison Avenue on the west; All inclusive
- Sixth Avenue between West 50th Street and West 59th Street
- Fifth Avenue between East 55th Street and East 50th Street
- Grand Army Plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street
- Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and Fifth Avenue
- Madison Avenue between East 42nd Street and East 58th Street
- Park Avenue between East 62nd Street and East 45th Street
- Vanderbilt Avenue between 42nd Street and 47th Street
- Lexington Avenue between East 57th Street and East 42nd Street
- FDR Drive Service Road between 48th Street and 49th Street
- East 63rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
- East 62nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue
- East 61st Street between Fifth Avenue and Lexington Avenue
- West 59th Street between Seventh Avenue and Fifth Avenue
- West/East 58th Street between Broadway and Madison Avenue
- West/East 57th Street between Seventh Avenue and FDR Drive
- 56th Street between Seventh Avenue and First Avenue
- 55th Street between Seventh Avenue and First Avenue
- 54th Street between Seventh Avenue and Madison Avenue
- 53rd Street between Seventh Avenue and FDR Drive
- 52nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Madison Avenue
- 51st Street between Seventh Avenue and First Avenue
- 50th Street between Seventh Avenue and FDR Drive
- East 49th Street between First Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road
- East 48th Street between First Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road
- East 47th Street between Third Avenue and Park Avenue
- 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and FDR Drive
- 45th Street between Madison Avenue and First Avenue
- 34th Street between Seventh Avenue and FDR Drive
The annual meeting of world leaders is a pretty big deal, with hundreds of politicians gathering in the city to discuss a wide variety of world-related issues. Even more specifically, the theme for this year's meeting is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.”