Gridlock in New York City has come to an ultimate high this holiday season. The hustle and bustle of holiday decorating in conjunction with the election of a candidate who hails from New York, has placed the metropolitan hub and economic center into a major traffic alert zone.
In accordance with the New York City government website, the ten busiest days in the New York City holiday season all fall within late November and mid December, the hours surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. However, the increase in “busy days” has come with the changing times and pace of New York City due to factors other than the season’s greetings.
In accordance with a report published by The New York Post, 59.7 million people are anticipated to have entered New York City by the end of this year, despite efforts to introduce tourists to outer boroughs such as Queens or Brooklyn.
Given the major construction of the Second Avenue subway line which will run from White Plains Road to Flatbush Ave. Brooklyn College, and the introduction of pedestrian walkways and bike lanes to major city streets, the factors contributing to the increase in traffic are astounding.
According to Sam Schwartz, a former New York City traffic commissioner, traffic in the city has already “increased by 4 percent over last year,” reaching a decade high percentage.
A lot of weight has been placed on Mayor de Blasio to facilitate the flow of traffic in the Big Apple. Since the election of Trump, the street-sides surrounding Trump Tower, between East 56th Street and 57th, have been crowded with protesters.
At a news conference, Mayor de Blasio explained, “We have never had a situation where the president of the United States would be here on such a regular basis. But the N.Y.P.D. is up to the challenge, and the City of New York is up to the challenge.”
Although New York City is “up to the challenge” of facilitating New York City traffic, some Baruch students have remained “disappointed” with the influx of delays.
Angela Stewart, a graduate student at Baruch, explained, “I feel that New York City has slowed down compared to other years. It takes me so much longer to get to school in the morning on the BXM18. Fifth Avenue can be jammed for hours…I’m serious. It’s ridiculous.”
Chelsea James, Baruch Sophomore, has also noticed the increase in traffic patterns. She explained, “Seats are always occupied on the train coming from Long Island. Whenever there is a Ranger’s game or the holiday season is approaching, the train is really crowded. Now that Trump is based in New York City, everything is overwhelmingly packed. Penn Station is flooded with people.”
As the end of the year nears and President-elect Trump moves into his inauguration month, it is with hope that New York City traffic is remedied.
