New York City starts annual holiday season, Gridlock Alerts as city officials urge use of public transit
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Nov 19, 2025, 21:01 IST
New York City starts annual holiday season, Gridlock Alerts as city officials urge use of public transit
The Big Apple of New York City set off its yearly Gridlock Alert Days starting the 2025 holiday season, targeting both the locals and tourists with the major traffic jams that might happen in Manhattan. Transport officials dispatching in the NYC subways, buses, and rail services are signalling that the riding of mass transit should be prioritised as the city is gearing up for a series of the most popular events of the season, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting.
TL;DR
NYC is warning of severe traffic jams during the festive season through to mid-December. The 2025 holiday Gridlock Alert Days have started. Officials keep urging the public to opt for the use of subways over cars as the city prepares for the Thanksgiving parade and Rockefeller Centre events.
Right in the middle of the busiest travel period of the year, New York City launched its holiday season Gridlock Alert Days on Wednesday. Alerts issued by the city's Department of Transportation aim at giving warnings to drivers regarding heavy traffic occurrences in the borough of Manhattan due to a swell of the tourist flow, events of the festive season, and increased weekday trips.
The city-wide Gridlock Alert Days are mainly scheduled around the time of the United Nations General Assembly in September and then move to the holiday phase starting from November each year. The main point of the alert system is to provide sufficient time for traffic planning and reduction of road congestion. The Transport Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in his official statement made public on Tuesday appealed to the travelers saying that if they could not travel in their own cars then they should make use of public transportation as possible. He also insisted on the fact that mass transit would be the fastest means to get around the city during the peak holiday periods.
The people of 2025 holiday sorts out should mark on their calendars the Gridlock Alert Days.
These are the following dates:
November 19
November 20
November 25
December 3–December 5
December 8–December 12
December 15–December 18
Historically, these are the dates which sign up for the maximum traffic counts every year. Besides the official announcement, the city traffic officers have also said that even though the days have been set out for congestion, the latter may also extend beyond the pinpointed calendar days, mainly around the times when major events take place.
Besides the anticipated gridlock, a few street closures due to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be enforced. In the media event on Tuesday, the parade organizers revealed that this year, they would welcome the arrival of six fresh floats including the first ever POP MART and LABUBU themed float. The balloon inflation event, which is held the night prior to Thanksgiving, is also expected to attract a heavy crowd and thus, more traffic restrictions on the Upper West Side. According to a spokesperson for Macy's, crowd management, and safety are the two factors that are always at the top of the agenda as the parade gets ready to welcome millions of spectators.
Furthermore, local authorities are predicting pedestrian-only zones around the Rockefeller Center area during the Christmas period, just like in previous years. People are free to walk in these zones which are created to alleviate the foot traffic around the popular tree viewing area. The lighting of the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center was decided to take place on Dec. 3. The 75-foot Norway spruce, which is a gift from a tree farm in East Greenbush, New York, was brought to Manhattan last week. According to the statement by the representatives of the Rockefeller Center, the tree lighting is expected to be a huge draw this year, resulting in a lot of foot traffic in Midtown and therefore, congestion.
The officials are giving the following advice to the people living in the city, those who travel to or through the city, and tourists: they should figure out their travel routes beforehand, keep track of the latest news through city advisories, and be ready for longer travel times during the holiday season.
FAQs
NYC is warning of severe traffic jams during the festive season through to mid-December. The 2025 holiday Gridlock Alert Days have started. Officials keep urging the public to opt for the use of subways over cars as the city prepares for the Thanksgiving parade and Rockefeller Centre events.
Right in the middle of the busiest travel period of the year, New York City launched its holiday season Gridlock Alert Days on Wednesday. Alerts issued by the city's Department of Transportation aim at giving warnings to drivers regarding heavy traffic occurrences in the borough of Manhattan due to a swell of the tourist flow, events of the festive season, and increased weekday trips.
The city-wide Gridlock Alert Days are mainly scheduled around the time of the United Nations General Assembly in September and then move to the holiday phase starting from November each year. The main point of the alert system is to provide sufficient time for traffic planning and reduction of road congestion. The Transport Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in his official statement made public on Tuesday appealed to the travelers saying that if they could not travel in their own cars then they should make use of public transportation as possible. He also insisted on the fact that mass transit would be the fastest means to get around the city during the peak holiday periods.
The people of 2025 holiday sorts out should mark on their calendars the Gridlock Alert Days.
These are the following dates:
November 19
November 20
November 25
December 3–December 5
December 8–December 12
December 15–December 18
Historically, these are the dates which sign up for the maximum traffic counts every year. Besides the official announcement, the city traffic officers have also said that even though the days have been set out for congestion, the latter may also extend beyond the pinpointed calendar days, mainly around the times when major events take place.
Besides the anticipated gridlock, a few street closures due to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be enforced. In the media event on Tuesday, the parade organizers revealed that this year, they would welcome the arrival of six fresh floats including the first ever POP MART and LABUBU themed float. The balloon inflation event, which is held the night prior to Thanksgiving, is also expected to attract a heavy crowd and thus, more traffic restrictions on the Upper West Side. According to a spokesperson for Macy's, crowd management, and safety are the two factors that are always at the top of the agenda as the parade gets ready to welcome millions of spectators.
Furthermore, local authorities are predicting pedestrian-only zones around the Rockefeller Center area during the Christmas period, just like in previous years. People are free to walk in these zones which are created to alleviate the foot traffic around the popular tree viewing area. The lighting of the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center was decided to take place on Dec. 3. The 75-foot Norway spruce, which is a gift from a tree farm in East Greenbush, New York, was brought to Manhattan last week. According to the statement by the representatives of the Rockefeller Center, the tree lighting is expected to be a huge draw this year, resulting in a lot of foot traffic in Midtown and therefore, congestion.
The officials are giving the following advice to the people living in the city, those who travel to or through the city, and tourists: they should figure out their travel routes beforehand, keep track of the latest news through city advisories, and be ready for longer travel times during the holiday season.
FAQs
- What are Gridlock Alert Days?Gridlock days are those days when New York City is likely to experience the worst traffic jams and hence a plea for the use of public transport is made to the citizens.
- How can residents avoid delays?Public transport is best if you wish to avoid delays in the city of New York. Local transport officials recommend making use of the subway, bus, or rail services.