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Pay attention, New York drivers: these are the gridlock traffic days in NYC

Leave the car at home.

Anna Rahmanan
Written by
Anna Rahmanan
Senior National News Editor
NYC gridlock
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Holiday season in NYC means tree lightings, countless ice skating rinks, stunning window displays, tons of Christmas markets and... seemingly endless traffic delays.

To (hopefully) ease the pain of that last point and avoid having New Yorkers sit in traffic for long, the DOT has released its list of Gridlock Alert Days, basically pinpointing the busiest traffic days of the year. 

Fun fact: according to the city, the term gridlock was actually coined locally, referring to "traffic congestion that blocks a city's network of intersections and has been used to describe the Manhattan core's overwhelming traffic volume in general." 

Although, generally speaking, taking public transportation will likely get you to your destination quicker during any day of the year, doing so on the following dates may prove to be extra fortuitous. 

And so, without further ado, here are the official NYC 2023 Gridlock Alert Days:

  • Wednesday, November 29, 2023
  • Thursday, November 30, 2023
  • Friday, December 1, 2023
  • Tuesday, December 5, 2023
  • Wednesday, December 6, 2023
  • Thursday, December 7, 2023
  • Friday, December 8, 2023
  • Tuesday, December 12, 2023
  • Wednesday, December 13, 2023
  • Thursday, December 14, 2023
  • Friday, December 15, 2023

Now that you've got that list handy, make sure to add it to your calendar and opt for public modes of transportation on those actual days. We even suggest walking or biking over driving your own car or grabbing an Uber or a yellow taxi. You can thank us later.

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