UN General Assembly Brings Worst Traffic Of The Year To NYC

MIDTOWN, NY — It’s that time of year once again when dignitaries, diplomats and bureaucrats all flock to Midtown for the United Nations General Assembly.

The international community will gather for their annual week-long meeting starting on Monday until Sept. 22 inside the U.N. Headquarters in Turtle Bay.

While world peace might not be guaranteed to come from the busy week, one thing the yearly gathering invariably produces is a long list of street closures and gridlock in Midtown and the Upper East Side.

The week of the U.N. General Assembly is considered the worst traffic days of the year in Midtown — resulting in traffic speeds of under four miles an hour, according to the Transportation Department.

To try and keep things a bit less congested, officials are asking New Yorkers to pretend it’s a city, and leave their cars at home.

"The UN General Assembly is a great event each year the city is proud to host,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, “but New Yorkers should do their part in minimizing congestion and seeking alternative modes of transportation.”

This year's meeting will feature a special focus on world health, President Joesph Biden and an in-person address to the assembly from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Here are the streets in Midtown and the Upper East Side that will be closed during the assembly week starting Monday until Sept. 22:

• FDR Drive between Whitehall Street and 42nd Street
• Area bounded by 60th Street on the North, 34th Street on the South, 1st Avenue on the East and 3rd Avenue on the West; All inclusive
• Area bounded by 54th Street on the North, 48th Street on the South,1st Avenue on the East and Madison Avenue on the West; All inclusive
• 6th Avenue between West 50th Street and West 59th Street
• 5th 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 5th 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 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• East 62nd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
• East 61st Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue
• West 59th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• West/East 58th Street between Broadway and Madison Avenue
• West/East 57th Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive
• 56th Street between 7th Avenue and 1st Avenue
• 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 1st Avenue
• 54th Street between 7th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 53rd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive
• 52nd Street between 7th Avenue and Madison Avenue
• 51st Street between 7th Avenue and 1st Avenue
• 50th Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive
• East 49th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road
• East 48th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road
• East 47th Street between 3rd Avenue and Park Avenue
• 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive
• 45th Street between Madison Avenue and 1st Avenue
• 34th Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive