WARNING: During the papal visit some Manhattan subway stops may be skipped for crowd control, according to the MTA. Check the transit website before you leave and factor in extra travel time.
MIDTOWN — The annual traffic chaos caused by the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly will be twice as bad this year, as the U.N. opening session coincides with Pope Francis' first visit to New York.
Once the pope departs Friday, don't expect things to get back to normal. President Obama will arrive to address the United Nations, Beyonce is slated to perform in Central Park on Saturday night, and the annual Tunnel To Towers Annual Run/Walk is set for Sunday morning, closing down the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. (Details below.)
The NYPD has announced a long list of street closures running from Thursday, Sept. 24 through Saturday, Sept. 26.
Two days before the pope's arrival, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced it may reroute portions of 25 bus lines during the papal visit. All of the 25 routes are in Manhattan, including the Manhattan portion of the Q32 bus from Queens. (Details below.) Access-A-Ride will be operating with delays and the MTA suggests customers postpone travel if possible.
On Wednesday, the MTA added that all express bus lines can expect reroutes and delays.
This story wil be updated as more planned traffic disruptions emerge.
► CLICK HERE TO SEE THE POPE'S NEW YORK SCHEDULE
ON THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Starting roughly at midnight, the following streets near St. Patrick's Cathedral will be closed to traffic until 9 p.m.:
► 50th Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► 51st Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue
Starting at roughly 3 a.m. the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic until 6 a.m.:
► Fifth Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street
► 48th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 49th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 50th Street from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue, and will remain closed until 9 p.m.
► 51st Street from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue, and will remain closed until 9 p.m.
► 52nd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 53rd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 54th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 55th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
Beginning at 6 a.m. the following streets will be reopened until 10 a.m.
► Fifth Avenue 47th Street to 55th Street
► 48th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 49th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 52nd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 53rd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 54th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 55th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
Beginning at roughly 10 a.m. the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic until 9 p.m.
► 5th Avenue from 47th Street to 55th Street
► 48th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 49th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 50th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 51st Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 52nd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 53rd Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 54th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
► 55th Street from Madison Avenue to Sixth Avenue
Beginning at roughly 2 p.m. the following streets will be closed until approximately 9 p.m.
► Madison Avenue from 47th Street to 57th Street
The FDR Drive will be subject to intermittent closures in the following sections:
► Southbound at 63rd Street
► Northbound at South Ferry
Beginning at 8 a.m. the following streets near the Papal Nuncio's residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until Saturday, Sept. 26 at roughly 10 a.m.
► 72nd Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue
Beginning at roughly 3 p.m. the following street near the Papal Nuncio's residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until Saturday, Sept. 26.
► 71st Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue
Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:
► Madison Avenue from 69th Street to 74th Street while the Pope is in residence.
Intermittent closures and limited access to vehicle traffic near the Papal Nuncio's residence include:
► Fifth Avenue from 74th Street to 71st Street
► 70th Street from Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► 71st Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue
► 72nd Street from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue
► 73rd Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► Madison Avenue from 69th Street to 73rd Street - two western lanes closed
Beginning at approximately 10 p.m. the following streets near the Papal Nuncio's residence will be closed to vehicular traffic until 6 a.m.
► 71st Street from Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► 72nd Street from Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► 73rd Street from Park Avenue to Fifth Avenue
► Madison Avenue from 70th Street to 73rd Street
Trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:
► Fifth Avenue from 74th Street to 71st Street
► Madison Avenue from 69th Street to 74th Street.
ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
The following streets near the United Nations Headquarters will be closed to traffic until the end of the UN General Assembly session:
► First 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 have access until the end of the day's session.
► 43rd Street from First Avenue to Second Avenue
► 44th Street from First Avenue to Second Avenue
► 45th Street from First Avenue to Second Avenue
► 46th Street from First Avenue to Second Avenue
Beginning at approximately 5 a.m., the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic until the end of the UN General Assembly session:
► 42nd Street from the FDR Drive to Second Avenue
► 42nd Street exit and entrance ramps of the FDR Drive
Beginning at roughly midnight, the following streets near the 9-11 Memorial will be closed to vehicular traffic until approximately 1 p.m.:
► Liberty Street from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street
► Cedar Street from Trinity Place to Greenwich Street
Beginning at roughly 11 a.m., the following streets will be closed until approximately 1 p.m.:
► Northbound on West Street from Battery Place to Murray Street
The following street will be subject to intermittent closures/managed access, except for trucks and other large vehicles:
► Southbound on West Street from Chambers Street to Albany Street.
Beginning at roughly midnight, the following streets in the area around the Our Lady Queen of Angels School will be closed until approximately 6 p.m.:
► 112th Street from Second Avenue to Third Avenue
► 113th Street Cul-de-sac
Starting at roughly 3 p.m., the following streets will be closed to trucks and other large vehicles:
► Second Avenue from 106th Street through 116th Street
► Third Avenue from 106th Street through 116th Street
Beginning at roughly midnight the following streets near Central Park will be closed until approximately 7 p.m.:
► Central Park West between Columbus Circle and West 81st Street
► W 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 64th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 65th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 66th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
► W 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 69th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 70th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 73rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
► W 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
Beginning at roughly midnight the following streets in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden will be closed until approximately midnight:
► 31st Street from Seventh Avenue to Ninth Avenue
► 33rd Street from Seventh Avenue to Ninth Avenue
Beginning at approximately noon the following streets will have intermittent closures/managed access:
► 31st Street from Sixth Avenue to Seventh Avenue - managed access
► 32nd Street from Sixth Avenue to Seventh Avenue - managed access
► 33rd Street from Sixth Avenue to Seventh Avenue - managed access
► Seventh Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street - two western lanes closed
► Eight Avenue from 31st Street to 33rd Street - one lane only/intermittent closures
Starting at around noon, trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access:
► Seventh Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street
► Eight Avenue from 30th Street to 34th Street
ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
The FDR Drive will be subject to intermittent closures in the following sections:
► Southbound at 63rd Street
► Northbound at South Ferry
Additional street closings may occur, according to the NYPD.
For a full list of bus diversions, see the MTA's website. Here's the agency's list of major planned changes by neighborhood:
► Fifth and Madison avenues
Pope Francis will travel to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday evening and will stay at a residence on the Upper East Side until his departure Saturday morning. When Fifth Avenue is closed during those times, the M1, M2, M3, M4 and Q32 buses will instead use major cross streets to travel to Lexington and Third avenues. The M5 will travel south on Seventh Avenue, then take 42nd Street to Fifth Avenue. The routes are scheduled to run normally during the Thursday morning rush hour. Intermittent road closures could occur at any time, according to the MTA.
The M72 will be diverted to the 79th Street Transverse across Central Park. Eastbound buses will use Amsterdam and Lexington avenues, and westbound buses will use Third and Columbus avenues.
► United Nations
At all times during the General Assembly, northbound M15 and M15 SBS buses will bypass stops on First Avenue between 39th Street and 50th Street. During certain United Nations events, northbound M15 and M15 SBS buses will be diverted from First Avenue to Third Avenue between 34th Street and 57th Street.
The eastbound M42 will turn short to avoid the United Nations during the entire General Assembly. The bus will turn at Second Avenue if possible, and if not, at Lexington Avenue, before returning on Third Avenue to westbound 42nd Street, according to the MTA.
While the pope is in New York, the M50 will be diverted between Sixth and Lexington avenues. Westbound buses will travel on 42nd Street and eastbound buses will travel on 57th Street. At other times during the General Assembly, westbound buses will travel on 47th Street and eastbound buses will travel on 52nd Street when possible.
► Lower Manhattan
The M9, M20 and M22 bus routes will curtail service short of Battery Park City during the pope's visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site. The M9 and M22 will terminate near City Hall, while the M20 will travel southbound on Broadway and northbound on Church Street.
► East Harlem
The M96 eastbound will be diverted to 106th Street between Madison and Lexington avenues Friday afternoon when Pope Francis visits to the Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem. If 106th Street is closed, the M96 and M106 eastbound will be diverted to 116th Street between Madison and Lexington avenues, according to the MTA.
If Second or Third avenues is closed through East Harlem, additional diversions will take effect. The M15 and M15 SBS southbound would divert to Lexington Avenue between 116th and 86th streets. The M98 and M103 northbound would divert to First Avenue between 96th and 116th streets. The M101 and M102 northbound would divert to Madison Avenue at 96th Street.
► Central Park
Buses along Central Park West will diverted Friday during preparations for Pope Francis’ procession through Central Park. The M5, M7, M10, M20 and M104 will be rerouted along 57th Street to Columbus and Amsterdam avenues; the M10 will return to Central Park West at 81st Street.
The M66 will be diverted eastbound to 57th Street between Broadway and Madison Avenue, and westbound between Lexington and Amsterdam avenues. The M72 will be diverted eastbound to 81st Street and then via the 79th Street Transverse between Amsterdam and Lexington avenues, and westbound to the 79th Street Transverse and then 81st Street between Third and Columbus avenues.
► Madison Square Garden
Ahead of the Friday evening Papl Mass, the southbound M4 and Q32 routes will turn in a loop using 23rd St. and Sixth Avenue to reach 32nd Street and their normal northbound routes. The southbound M7 and M20 will be diverted from Seventh to Ninth avenues between 41st and 24th streets, and the northbound M20 will be diverted from Eighth to Tenth avenues between 23rd and 40th streets.
The M34 SBS and M34A SBS routes will be diverted to 23rd Street between First and Tenth avenues. Waterside Plaza customers can reach the buses at the FDR Drive and Avenue C, according to the MTA.
For the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly known as the Battery Tunnel,) will close one tube starting at 10 p.m. Saturday through 3 p.m. Sunday. There will be one lane open in each direction in the remaining tube until both tubes are closed at 7:45 a.m. Sunday for the run until about 3 p.m., according to details released Tuesday by the MTA. The annual charity run/walk begins on the streets in Red Hook, Brooklyn and ends across from the World Trade Center site, retracing the route FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller ran Sept. 11, 2001.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE POPE'S VISIT TO NEW YORK
