New York City Event Guide

Republican National Convention

The GOP comes to NYC in for four fun-filled days from August 30th thru September 2nd 2004

Convention Information Resources

Traffic restrictions, street closings, commuter train re-routings and other measures go into effect as early as August 29th. These get very detailed and in order not to pass along incorrect or out of date information we're providing links to official sources

NYC Department of Transportation Traffic Advisory
Details the street closings and pedestrian access around Madison Square Garden

MTA Long Island Railroad & Penn Station Advisories
Describes pedestrian access to Penn Station, restrictions inside the station, alternate routes to connect to subway service into Manhattan, plus general travel tips

New Jersey Transit
Information about the rerouting of Midtown Direct service from Penn Station to Hoboken, alternate routes, special security procedures aboard trains

Amtrak
Ticketing requirements and access to Penn Station

New York Host Committee
General convention information and schedule, some "tips" for New Yorkers

NYC.gov
It's early August and the only information on the front page of the official New York City site is a link the Host Committee for its volunteer drive

NY Police Department
No information as of August 2nd

Some Assumptions

Any information form the above agencies is based on what is currently known and forecast and that has been publicly released. Some other things we think folks can expect are:

Motorcades
Let's face it, there are going to be a lot of muckety-mucks in town, such as the President and Vice-President, who's travel will be unannounced. Routes will be closed, pedestrians won't be able to cross streets, gridlock will creep throughout Manhattan

Demonstrations
Sure, deals have been struck with some groups, but not all play by the rules. Expect unannounced demonstrations throughout Midtown

Hotel Areas
High profile folks have to stay someplace and by experience we know that access to the immediate area around these places is usually restricted. Getting around town will probably be easier if you give a wide berth to the better hotels in Midtown

Threat Response
Most people who live and work in Manhattan have witnessed one of the NYPD "surges" in the past few weeks -- convoys of 10, 15, 20 or more police vehicles rehearsing responses to particular locations. We expect to see a couple per day during the convention

Some Recommendations

It's all common sense:

Be Informed
Use the links above to find out the where, what and when

Don't Drive
We really get tired of people sitting in their cars, honking their horns and screaming out their windows when they could have avoided it in the first place. If you must drive, be sure to consult the NYC Department of Transportation Traffic Advisory for expected street closings

No Day Trips
The week of the convention is not the time to come into town for an afternoon of shopping or to catch a show or have lunch with friends (though we do suspect that many restaurants will have many tables available)

Plan Your Commute Now
New Jersey Transit commuters should determine if they are affected by any schedule and route changes. Long Island Railroad commuters should consider transferring to subway service at the Jamaica, Hunterspoint or Flatbush Avenue stations for alternate routes into Manhattan

Plan Your Pedestrian Route
Besides the area around the Garden, we would probably not expect an uninterrupted stroll around the East and West Side Midtown hotel districts. If you live or work in those areas, consider alternate routes. A change of subway stop can make a big difference