GRIDLOCK SAM
FRI., JULY 14 - SUN., JULY 16 ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Ready, set, GO! This weekend, the Formula-E New York City ePrix race will make its debut in Brooklyn taking over the streets of Red Hook from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Get ready for tens of thousands to flock to the area to watch professionals reach speeds of up to 140 mph around a track. (But don’t try this at home!)
Driving nearby, however, won’t be speedy, even though Formula-E will only close a few streets surrounding the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
Many attendees, no surprise, are drivers themselves. So, I’m expecting more cars than normal for an NYC sporting event. Likely problem areas include the Gowanus, Hamilton Ave., BQE and Battery Tunnel. Best bet is transit to free shuttles: the F to Smith St., or the 4,D,N,Q, and R (but not the 2 and 3, this weekend!) to Barclays Center. Another option for Manhattanites is the South Brooklyn ferry from Wall St./Pier 11 to Red Hook.
That’s not the only big race this weekend-the NYC Triathlon will return Sunday, with swimmers, bikers, and runners battling their way from the Upper West Side to the Bronx.
Closures will start as early as 4 a.m. affecting the northbound West Side Highway/Henry Hudson Parkway, from 57th St. past the GW Bridge, to Mosholu Parkway, and finally to the south end of Van Cortlandt Park. Also closed will be 72nd St. between Riverside Dr. and Central Park. I’m expecting the
all-clear late-morning on the West Side Highway/Henry Hudson Parkway. Bronx routes should open in the early afternoon, no later than 2 p.m.
The Mets will take on the Rockies at Citi Field, with 7 p.m. showdowns on Friday and Saturday, and at 1 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday:
The Avenue of the Americas Expo will close Sixth Ave. between 42nd and 56th Sts. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Motion Picture Club Festival will close Broadway between 47th and 57th Sts. on from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From noon to 4 p.m., Carnaval Cubano will close Madison Ave. between 38th and 27th Sts.
Demo alert! The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! will gather at Trump Tower, 5th and 56th, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. then marching to Times Square for a rally.
For more details, follow me on Twitter @GridlockSam.
Sam Schwartz is a former city first deputy transportation commissioner. He is also a consultant to the private sector and government. Gridlock Sam is published Friday and Sunday. If you have a traffic question, please write to: Gridlock Sam, N.Y. Daily News, 4 New York Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10004, or info@gridlocksam.com