Midtown commuters are facing bus delays this week thanks to Super Bowl Boulevard, a 13-block stretch of football-themed activities in Times Square; but for many the traffic is just part of city life.
Commuter Gina Mastromauro took the bus Wednesday morning and was half an hour late to work because of congestion on Sixth Avenue.
“So far, today has been the worst,” said Mastromauro, 46, who expects traffic to worsen as game day approaches. “But that’s New York for you.”
Although Super Bowl Boulevard launched at noon today, Broadway between 34th and 47th Street has been closed to motorists since Jan. 26, and will remain closed until Feb. 2. Media, utility and police vehicles line the open side streets, along with roaming pedestrians.
The 42nd Street M42 local bus was delayed for most of the afternoon, according the MTA website. But it ran smoothly enough that some commuters didn’t notice.
“It was a little better than normal actually,” said Cheyenne Henderson, 30, a commuter who rides the bus to deliver packages. “Honestly, I thought it was going to be worse.”
Hundreds took part in today’s festivities despite freezing temperatures and thousands are expected throughout the week, according to the Super Bowl Host Committee.
Pedestrians are the main cause of the traffic congestion because private vehicles are likely to avoid the area altogether, according to Robert Paaswell, Director of the Transportation Research Center at City University.
“You’re going have a number of people coming in and increasing the amount of foot traffic, which makes cars turning or entering intersections more difficult,” said Paaswell.
Traffic ebbed and flowed along Seventh Avenue, which intersects with Super Bowl Boulevard. But with the warm Seventh Avenue subway line below, few opted to brave the cold for local buses.
In this way, the weather has helped some commuters avoid transit delays and ease traffic, said Paaswell.
The city is also encouraging those participating in the festivities to use mass transit, according to a Department of Transportation press release.
But for commuters with fewer options, like those from the outer boroughs, it’s likely to be a long week.
“It’s stressful,” said bus driver Stanley Dacruz, 54, whose Manhattan bound X9 bus was running 25 minutes behind schedule once it reached Midtown. “We’re from Staten Island, so there’s not much we can do. Just bare it. So I play my radio and not think about it.”
