For Monday's solar eclipse, New York State, federal authorities issue travel alerts
A digital sign on the eastbound LIE in Medford advises motorists of Monday's eclipse. Credit: James Carbone
If you drive the Long Island Expressway, you've probably seen the signs: “Solar eclipse Monday. Take mass transit.”
State officials are warning of traffic mayhem surrounding Monday's “Great North American Eclipse,” which will cut a 120-mile-wide swath of total darkness from Texas to Maine — including a portion of upstate New York.
It will only last for several minutes, and Long Island will reach about 90% totality. Still, statewide travel warnings have been issued that include unusually heavy traffic into Tuesday.
Suffolk police said Tuesday there were “no special preparations” being made to deal with traffic that day and Nassau police said they currently have no special advice for drivers.
But AAA issued a list of do's and don'ts for drivers, including: Keep your vehicle's headlights on; lower the visor to block your view of the sun; don't try to photograph or video the eclipse while driving; and don't pull over to the side of heavily trafficked roads to view it.
And, while NASA warns eclipse-rated glasses — thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses — are needed to safely view the eclipse, AAA reminds drivers not to wear them while driving.
The eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and cross North America beginning about 2:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and ending at about 4:36 p.m., transiting over Mexico, the United States and Canada.
In New York, the path of totality will cover a host of upstate areas, officials said, the largest among them Jamestown, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown and Plattsburgh.
Officials said tens of thousands have booked stays in many upstate locations in the eclipse path, including a host of small rural towns and villages.
That's where the bulk of any traffic concerns come in, with state officials warning of overburdened roads in locations not designed to handle it.
“Travelers are encouraged to arrive at their destination early and leave well after the eclipse has ended,” officials said in a notice posted to the state Department of Transportation 511 NY website.
In fact, AAA said its official car rental partner, Hertz, reported a 3,000% increase in advance bookings for locations in the projected eclipse path, with rentals beginning Saturday. Hotels in the eclipse path are reportedly 48% more expensive on average for eclipse weekend, AAA said.
Even the Federal Aviation Administration is warning of potential air travel delays, citing “possible impacts to air traffic and airports along the eclipse path” between 6 a.m. Sunday and Wednesday, April 10.
The National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies on Long Island and about 60 degrees Monday.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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