Hello to all! I hope everyone is enjoying the mmer and staying safe out there on the road. July is always a busy month in New York, but this year it feels even bigger with World Cup excitement in the air and fans from all over the world coming through our area. As always, I want to recognize the work you continue to put in every day to keep New York moving, especially during a summer that has already been filled with energy, crowds, and plenty of activity.
Major events like this can bring opportunity, but they also bring heavier traffic and changing travel patterns. First, let’s talk about traffic. With World Cup excitement continuing across the New York/New Jersey area, drivers should be prepared for major changes in and around Midtown on match days, especially in July. The NYC Department of Traffic (DOT) has designated Sunday, July 5th and Sunday, July 19th as Gridlock Alert Days, with severe congestion expected in Midtown Manhattan and impacts that could spill over into surrounding areas.
On these days, the City is converting 42nd Street into a bus and shuttle corridor from 1st Avenue to 12th Avenue, using bus and shuttle lanes on 5th and 6th Avenues between 42nd and 59th Streets, and converting parts of West 40th and West 41st Streets into bus and shuttle blocks. These changes are meant to move World Cup ticketholders to and from MetLife Stadium (officially referred to during the tournament as NYNJ Stadium) but black car drivers should expect ripple effects around the Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority, Columbus Circle, Grand Central, Penn Station, and the rest of Midtown.
There will also be closures near Penn Station to make room for street-level queues, including 33rd Street between 6th and 8th Avenues and 32nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, with closures beginning at least six hours before each match.
The bottom line: Plan ahead, check your routes before starting a trip, leave extra time for passengers going anywhere near Midtown or the stadium, and keep an eye out for real-time traffic and street closure updates. Big events like the World Cup are great for the region and can bring real opportunity, but they also require patience, flexibility, and a little extra planning behind the wheel.
The World Cup isn’t the only exciting event for June and July. I want to thank everyone who joined us on June 22nd for our latest Steering Towards Success Resource Fair at our Driver Education Center in Long Island City. These events continue to be one of the best opportunities we have to speak directly with drivers, answer questions, and connect you with the benefits and resources available through The Black Car Fund and Drivers Benefits.
This fair included helpful information about our Earn While You Learn™ opportunities, guidance on how to access Drivers Benefits, no-cost health screenings for glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure, access to no-cost preventative screenings for prostate and colorectal cancers, mental health resources, loan guidance, and as always, free raffles and giveaways. Thank you to all of our partners who helped make the day possible, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai, The Hebrew Free Loan Society, Drivers Benefits, and the Independent Drivers Guild.
Also, a huge thank you to the drivers who took the time to stop by, ask questions, and stay connected with us. We look forward to continuing these fairs and bringing even more resources to drivers throughout the year. Our next resource fair for the downstate area will be on Mon., August 17; then we’ll be back in North Tonawanda for a two-day fair, on September 15 and 16. Keep an eye on our social media, or our linktr.ee for more information, and to sign up when it becomes available.
Moving onto other exciting news, we are running a special promotion for our recently renamed Road Instruction and Driver Education Course (RIDE). For all of The RIDE Courses scheduled throughout July and August, eligible drivers will be earning $500, instead of the usual $250! So, if you or someone you know hasn’t already taken it in the last three years, there’s never been a better time to sign up to complete it.
Please note that this increase only applies to The RIDE Course, when taken in-person at our Driver Education Center from July 1 to August 31. All of the classes scheduled for this period have been posted on our Driver Education Center website and are available to sign up. Once all the classes are full, we will start a waiting list for additional drivers who want to take the course. So, head on over to nybcf.org to sign up for one of the classes now!
As I wrap up, I have another exciting bit of news. This July, we will be launching a new benefit called License Watch, which aims to keep drivers informed about their license status and whether any points or violations would threaten suspension or revocation. It can often be difficult or confusing to keep track of these things yourself, so this new benefit hopes to give you a little more peace of mind. Stay tuned for more details about this benefit.
Until next time!
Ira J. Goldstein is the Executive Director of the New York Black Car Fund and Advisor to the Black Car Assistance Corp. (BCAC).
