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NYC traffic is going to be a mess this weekend. Here’s how to get around.
By
Joe Hong
Published Sep 4, 2026
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Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images
By
Joe Hong
Published Sep 4, 2026
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The weather in New York City will be beautiful this weekend. The traffic? It’s going to be ugly.
Traffic from people leaving town and going to the beach is likely to converge with parade road closures in Brooklyn and U.S. Open traffic in Queens, according to transit officials. Manhattan traffic will likely worsen on Tuesday with the start of the UN General Assembly.
In an effort to relieve some Labor Day traffic across the state, Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday announced the suspension of some construction-related traffic closures.
“We want everyone to have a safe holiday weekend, and I encourage travelers to plan ahead, drive sober and stay alert,” she said in a Friday release.
The U.S. Open is in its second week with the City’s Department of Transportation enforcing several closures of several main roadways in Queens, including Northern Boulevard between Junction Boulevard and Clearview Expressway as well as Roosevelt Avenue between Main Street and 104th Street.
The West Indian Day Parade will take place on Monday, closing down Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza and entire stretches of the Crown Heights neighborhood. The parade will go through Eastern Parkway between Ralph Avenue and Plaza Street West from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday. The road closures will last through Monday night.
Smaller events will also add to the congestion. The Earth Awareness Fair in Herald Square on Saturday will close 6th Avenue between 34th Street and 42nd Street. While the Brazilian Day Festival on Sunday will close 6th Avenue between 42nd Street and 56th Street as well as East 46th Street between Madison Avenue and 7th Avenue.
New York City motorists will luckily be spared this weekend from closures related to the United Nation General Assembly, which typically causes the worst gridlock days of the year. The General Assembly starts on Tuesday and will result in closures of FDR Drive between Whitehall Street and 42nd Street and other large swaths of the Upper East Side.
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Joe Hong
Joe Hong is the investigative data reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. He previously covered K-12 education for several newsrooms across California. His reporting has led to local reforms in juvenile justice system as well as a state law requiring universal screening for dyslexia. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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