Carmageddon

Via Atlantic Yards Report comes this press release from Gridlock Sam:

(New York, NY) – September 27, 2012 — Gridlock Sam has declared a Gridlock Alert for Downtown Brooklyn along Flatbush Ave. from Tillary St. to Grand Army Plaza and along Atlantic Ave. from the BQE to Bedford Ave. The Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges along with the BQE will be affected. Avoid driving in the area from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday,Saturday and Sunday. Expect a post-Jay-Z-concert surge just after midnight all three nights.

The concerts, all scheduled for 8 p.m., will draw almost 20,000 people to Brooklyn’s busiest intersection, Flatbush Ave. and Atlantic Ave, at the height of Friday’s rush hour. On Sunday, the Atlantic Antic, one of the city’s biggest street fairs, will close Atlantic Ave. from the BQE to Flatbush Ave. starting 6 a.m. The street may not reopen fully until 7:30 p.m.

Gridlock Sam’s Best Bet for fans is transit. He said, “Flatbush and Atlantic Ave. is the easiest place, next to Penn Station, to get to by transit. Eleven subway lines: 2, 3, 4, 5, C, D, B, N, Q, R and G stop at the arena or are a 2 to 3 blocks walk. The LIRR stops at Atlantic Terminal, right across the street from the arena. Pre-concert there’s already plenty of service. Post-concerts and events, the MTA is adding subways to certain lines and doubling LIRR service from Atlantic Terminal to ensure efficient and convenient travel.”

Holy scheduling overlap, Batman!  I had completely forgotten about the Atlantic Antic, which officially ends at 6:00 PM on Sunday but, as the press release notes, may keep the street closed until just before the Jay-Z concert starts.  And today’s rain may make a typically messy evening commute even messier, no matter how people choose to get to the Barclays Center.