GRIDLOCK SAM
SUN., MARCH 25 -FRI., MARCH 30 ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED HOLY THURSDAY, GOOD FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY FOR PASSOVER We just had snow, but Noah Syndergaard and the Mets are playing the Cardinals Thursday for Opening Day 1 p.m. at Citi Field. The Grand Central Parkway, LIE, Van Wyck, and Whitestone Expressway will all be sluggish from noon to 1 p.m. Transit will be your best bet. From Penn Station take the Port Washington branch directly to Citi Field. All other lines transfer for the Port Washington at Woodside. Gridlock Sam and his wife and granddaughter Gridlock Melissa will be taking the 7 train (only local mid-day) from Times Square to Willets Point.
As a veteran of opening games since Shea opened in 1964, I can tell you the lines to get into the stadium on opening day are awful. Try to arrive by 12:30 to be sure to get seated by first pitch.
Post-game traffic, probably between 4 and 5 p.m., will merge with the crunch hour in Queens so expect a slower than usual trek on the LIE, GCP and Whitestone Expressway. Northern Boulevard may be a better escape route as traffic signals are timed for traffic leaving the stadium heading east or west.
Friday is Good Friday and the first Seder night. Schools will be out for a week so traffic will be lighter, but we will see a surge around 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as Jews and their guests will be heading to the traditional Passover dinner. If you’re driving to a Seder, leave early or the fifth question may be, “why aren’t they here?”
The West Side Highway near 34th St. will be heavy this week as nearly 1,000 vehicles come into Javits for the Auto Show, which opens Friday with previews starting Wednesday.
Today, a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Bay Ridge closes Third Ave. between Marine Ave and 68th St. 1 to 4 p.m. Protesters on both sides of the abortion debate will be assembling near the Brooklyn Bridge by Foley Square 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
One lane of the Gowanus between 86th and 45th Sts. is closed both directions weekdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Manhattan Bridge’s upper roadways have one of two lanes closed in both directions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. weeknights
Peru’s soccer match with Iceland at 8 p.m. at Red Bull Arena Tuesday will add to Holland and Lincoln tunnel congestion. 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