An estimated one million additional cars will be in New York City this week as Pope Francis arrives Thursday afternoon. Street closures throughout Manhattan will force drivers to find alternative places to park. Regular parking regulations will be in effect with the exception of alternate side parking which will be suspended from September 23-25.
“I’m expecting there to be more violations because visitors will come and they won’t know how to read the signs,” says NYPD traffic officer, Ada Padilla. Padilla will be on duty Friday night at Madison Square Garden, issuing tickets to illegally parked vehicles.
Padilla smiles, pointing at the No Parking sign above a black Toyota attached to her van by a tow dolly. Unlike the vehicles she is expecting to tow during the papal visit, this one will be taken to the nearby towing pound.
Streets to avoid will be those surrounding the Pope’s main destinations. Drivers should consider parking in the East Village and Lower East Side, as well as commute in from outer boroughs. More information about road closures can be found at the MTA website.
“It’s important for us to keep the flow of traffic moving. Those illegally parked will be relocated to zones where parking is permitted, and they’ll have to call 311 to find out where their car is. We advise the use of public transportation where possible,” says Padilla.
Not driving during the Pope’s two-day visit is not an option for Melinda Adorno, the mother of a young child in daycare at 9th Avenue and 56th Street.
“I’ll still be driving but I’m not expecting to find street parking. Instead I’ll pay the extra money to park at the garage,” says Adorno.
Parking garages located in and around frozen zones aren’t expecting significant changes to business.
“If everything goes according to plan we shouldn’t see our garage overflowing because the streets will be blocked off and no cars will be coming in,” says Kevin Black, security supervisor at Central Parking System at the Time Warner Building in Columbus Circle. Black thinks visitors will be parking in less congested parts of Manhattan and outer boroughs, arriving via subway to see the Pope.
Josue Pesantes, located outside the frozen zone at the 7th Avenue and 41st Street Central Parking System garage, says some clients have called in advance to reserve a parking spot. “We won’t be doing anything different but will close the garage if it reaches capacity,” says Pesantes.
Despite impassable zones throughout the City, it will be business as usual for commercial vehicles such as Central Moving and Storage Co., Inc. Ron Robinson, a driver for the company, hasn’t been informed of any delivery cancellations yet but is expecting to park further from client sites than usual.
“Sometimes police make an exception and let us park to make fast deliveries but I’m not expecting that to be the case this week,” Robinson says.
For car owners still set on fighting the traffic ruckus, Mr. Black has one message: “Just don’t.”