It’s Gridlock Week in Manhattan as U.N. General Assembly Starts

With the United Nations session kicking off Monday, the city is closing some streets and stepping up police presence. It is usually one of the slowest weeks for traffic in Midtown.

A line of cars stuck in traffic on First Avenue, Associated Press

Hilary Howard

By Hilary Howard

Sept. 21, 2025

It’s that time of year when Midtown East in Manhattan both brims with action and comes to a standstill.

The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, starting Monday, will bring together more than 140 world leaders to discuss contentious issues like the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It is known by many diplomats as the World Cup of diplomacy.

But it is known by many New Yorkers as a pain in the neck.

The main event, which takes place this week along First Avenue between East 42nd and 48th Streets, brings with it impassable streets in Midtown East as well as intermittent closures citywide. The Department of Transportation is encouraging New Yorkers to use public transit and other “nondriving modes” for getting around Midtown over the next five days.

The early part of the week could be particularly thorny because of planned high-profile events. On Monday, there will be a conference on Palestinian statehood, and on Tuesday morning, President Trump is scheduled to speak. Possible protests could further snarl traffic and elevate security concerns.

“Thousands of N.Y.P.D. officers will secure routes, fortify protection for the president of the United States, support security at hotels where heads of state will be staying and ensure the safe movement of delegations citywide,” said Jessica Tisch, New York City’s police commissioner, at a news conference about the General Assembly last week.

Although there are no specific threats, the city is amping up its police presence on the streets and in the subway, and will be using drones and helicopters over waterways, including the East River, which the United Nations headquarters overlooks.

For the duration of the Assembly, First Avenue will be closed to car traffic from East 42nd to 48th Street, and East 44th through 48th Streets will be closed between First and Second Avenues, Ms. Tisch said.

Additionally, 41st and 43rd Streets between Tudor City Place and Second Avenue will be closed, with 42nd Street shut down between Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and Second Avenue, according to a map published by the police.

These streets could also close intermittently to pedestrians and cyclists, the police said, and could close as soon as the Sunday before the event and remain closed until the Saturday after.

Drivers and cyclists may use the First Avenue tunnel to travel north through the area, said Ms. Tisch, who also warned of rolling closures citywide.

Midtown traffic during the General Assembly has historically slowed to a snail’s pace, according to the Department of Transportation. It usually moves at less than four miles per hour, compared with averages between four and six miles per hour the rest of the year.

This year is the first time that congestion pricing, which went into effect this winter and charges drivers fees for traveling through the commercial core of Manhattan, could have an effect on General Assembly bottlenecks. Diplomats, however, are exempt from paying the fees.

Throughout the week, the city will post message boards alerting motorists of expected delays.

After the General Assembly, there will be 15 more “gridlock alert” days this year, according to a recent city announcement.

Hilary Howard is a Times reporter covering how the New York City region is adapting to climate change and other environmental challenges.