Significant traffic is expected in Queens over the next week as both the U.S. Open and the New York Mets have scheduled events — so officials are urging fans to take mass transit.
The annual tennis event starts on Monday with its Fan Week, some open practices and qualifying matches at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing. The tournament ends on Sept. 8.
Organizers said they expect nearly a million fans next week. During the full run of the Open, including Fan Week, the Mets have nine scheduled home games.
“Take the train, take the bus,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said on Friday at a press conference. “All of those options are way, way better than sitting in traffic on the Grand Central Parkway or on the Van Wyck [Expressway] or whatever one of those crazy congested roads are and then paying $20 to $40 to park.”
Lieber said the transit agency will be running extra service on the 7 line and the Long Island Rail Road. The $5-to-$7 fare on the LIRR will bring riders to the front entrance to the tennis courts, while the 7 train requires a seven-minute walk across the Flushing Meadows Pedestrian Bridge.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards warned of potential heavy traffic on major highways surrounding the tennis center.
“Queens is the most diverse county in the United States,” he said. “It’s because people come from the airport and they get on the Van Wyck and since they can never get off of it, they just stay in Queens.”
To promote transit and the tennis tournament, the MTA is rolling out three new train announcements from tennis stars, including Billie Jean King and Andy Roddick.
“Hey, New Yorkers, this is Billie Jean King,” the tennis legend says in her spot. “The U.S. Open is back in Queens. Remember, the best way to get out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is by riding with the MTA”