34th Street: The Best of New York

The Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention will take place at Madison Square Garden from August 30, 2004 to September 2, 2004.

SAFETY ZONE

The boundaries of the Safety Zone will be from West 29th Street to West 35th Street and 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue.

Street closures in the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden will begin on Sunday, August 29th, and end on Friday, September 3rd, and are as follows:

• West 31st to West 33rd Streets from 6th to 9th Avenues will be closed to vehicle traffic. Between 7th and 9th Avenues, pedestrians will need to have a business related purpose to enter (see red Safety Zone as indicated on map)
• West 32nd between 6th and 7th Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic. It will become a Pedestrian Mall, providing access to Penn Station up through Penn Station’s 7th Avenue entrance under the Madison Square Garden marquee. People will be able to enter Penn Station through the entrance at 34th and 7th, but not from 8th Avenue.
• 7th Avenue will be closed from 42nd to 29th Streets to vehicle traffic during the 13 hours when the convention is in session. At other times, at least one lane will be open in the MSG area and all lines will be open elsewhere.
• 8th Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic during the convention hours from 23rd to 34th Streets. Since 31st Street at 8th Avenue will be a designated protest area, additional lane or avenue closures are likely south of that point at other timed during the week.
• The MTA will be re-routing bus service on both 7th and 8th Avenues.

Access into Area

• All Persons entering the Safety Zone MUST carry business and/or personal identification.
• People with scheduled appointments should bring supporting documentation from the location to be visited (i.e. faxed letter and/or personal identification).
• Customer access to all businesses during the convention will be permitted
• All commuters will have access to and from transportation facilities in the Safety Zone at designated locations.
• All outreach facilities in the Safety Zone will remain open and operational.
• Please enter the area at the location closest to your destination.

Penn Station Access Points

• Pedestrian walkway West 32nd Street from 6th to 7th Avenues
• South side of West 34th Street at 7th Avenue
• From 7th and 8th Avenue subway lines

The Farley Post Office

The retail window of the Farley Post Office will be closed during the convention. The Postal Service plans on setting up at least one mobile post office in close proximity to the Farley Building to accommodate retail transactions. People who have post office boxes inside the post office will be granted access into the building during the overnight hours with proper identification. Undomiciled persons who normally receive their mail at the Ninth Avenue side of the post office will continue to be able to do so.

• Click here for full Postal Service details.

No Parking Areas Except During Scheduled Delivery Times

• West 31st Street from 6th to 9th Avenue
• West 33rd Street from 6th to 9th Avenue
• West 34th Street from 6th to 9th Avenue
• West 32nd Street from 6th to 7th Avenue
• Both sides 7th Avenue from West 28th Street to West 38th Street
• West Side 9th Avenue from West 33rd Street to West 31st Street
• West Side 6th Avenue from West 28th Street to West 35th Street

Delivery Plan

The following is a schedule for trucks to make deliveries into the Safety Zone

Special Instructions:

For all businesses located in the following areas:

• West 31st Street and West 33rd Street between the West side of 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue

• Saturday 08/28/04 - No Deliveries
• Sunday 08/29/04 - Enter by 12:00am and exit by 9:00am

Delivery vehicles will enter from:

• 10th Avenue

A formation line will start on the:

• East side of 10th Avenue South of West 31st Street

Vehicles should enter the formation line from:

• 10th Avenue and 23rd Street

General procedures:

• All businesses should adhere to the scheduled delivery hours.
• No delivery vehicles should arrive prior to midnight for deliveries on Tuesday 08/31/04, Wednesday 09/01/04, Thursday 09/02/04 - they will not be allowed to stop.
• The safety zone has been divided into three zones. Vehicle operators should follow the specific instructions for the zone where your business is located.
• To ensure all vehicles exit in compliance with the above listed schedule - vehicles must enter prior to 2:00 am on Monday and prior to 12:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday.
• All drivers should have personal and vehicle identification.
• All vehicles will be thoroughly inspected.
• Vehicle drivers without proper identification or vehicles that cannot be thoroughly inspected will not be granted access to the area.
• First come first in.

Support:

For any additional information or help with delivery issues or special circumstances, please call the following phone numbers at the midtown precinct south:

• (212) 239-4381
• (212) 239-2344
• (212) 239-9846

Delivery Zone Map:

Trash Removal

The NYC Department of Sanitation will collect all trash (residential and commercial) within the designated security zone in the vicinity of Madison Square Garden during the Republican National Convention.

The boundaries of the security zone are as follows:

• West 31st and 33rd Streets, west of Sixth Avenue to east of Ninth Avenue
• West 32nd Street, west of Sixth Avenue to Seventh Avenue
• Seventh and Eighth Avenues, south of W. 34th Street to north of W. 30th Street

Private carters will continue to collect commercial trash on Sixth and Ninth Avenues, West 34th Street and West 30th Street, as well as all streets extending beyond the security zone.

Private carters will not be permitted into the security zone with the following exceptions:

• Carters who haul 40 yard trash compactors
• Medical waste haulers

The NYC Department of Sanitation does not have the equipment necessary to remove compactors or medical waste. These carters will have to adhere to the same restrictions outlined in the truck delivery plan. These vehicles must be empty upon arrival and undergo a thorough inspection before being given access into the security zone.

The NYC Department of Sanitation will begin collecting commercial trash at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 28, 2004. This service will conclude at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 3, 2004. Trash will be collected at 2:00 a.m. and again between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. each day. The Department of Sanitation will have resources available in close proximity to Madison Square Garden continuously during the convention. Their activities will be coordinated with the NYPD to insure that any sanitation issues that may arise will be adequately addressed. During this period, private carters, with the exception of compactor and medical waste haulers, will be excluded from the security zone described above.

Merchants who normally place their trash in small metal dumpsters will be required to place their trash curbside in plastic bags instead. The Department of Sanitation does not have the equipment necessary to pick up metal dumpsters. The empty dumpsters must be stored in a secure location off of the street during the time period.

All merchants should continue to pay their normal monthly carting charges. The NYC Department of Sanitation will not charge merchants for the removal of their trash during this period.

Additional information may be obtained by calling the Midtown South Precinct information desk at: (212) 239 – 4381, (212) 239 – 2344 and (212) 239 – 9846.

Street Vendor Restrictions

Commencing on August 29, 2004 through September 2, 2004 Security measures and Delegate Transportation plans will prevent street vendors from conducting business within the Safety Zone.
Due to EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES, there will be NO STREET VENDING from the South side of West 29th Street to the North Side of West 35th Street and from the East side of 6th Avenue to the West side of 9th Avenue. Vendors setting up outside the area MUST follow all Vendor Regulations as they pertain to Restricted Streets, Vending Hours, and Location of carts or stands.

Field Command Post

The NYPD Field Command Post will be located at the South East corner of West 35th Street and 7th Avenue.

Community Support / Further Information

For truck delivery scheduling and assistance for local businesses, contact the Information office at the Midtown South Precinct with dedicated phone line (212) 239-4381, (212) 239-2344, Community Affairs (212) 239-9846.

	For up to the minute information, please check the New York City web site at www.nyc2004.org or call 3-1-1 and the Republican National Convention Office at (212) 630-5780.
	For more information about MTA and LIRR, please check www.mta.info/lirr/RNC/
	For more information about MTA Subway and Bus lines, please check www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/service/convention.htm

Additional Documents

Republican National Convention brochure (Adobe PDF)

Metropolitan Transportation Authority & NJ Transit Travel Advisory (MS Word document)

RNC Host Committee Q & A (MS Word document)

US Postal Service Press Release (MS Word document)

Sanitation information (MS Word document)

Manhattan Community Board 5 Public Service Announcement (MS Word document)

Map of the RNC Safety Zone

Map of the RNC No Parking Zone

Map of the RNC Delivery Zones