Lower Manhattan protests: Airport routes to avoid gridlock

Published on Oct 22, 2025, 9:26 am CDT

4 min read

Key points

Rolling protests near Canal Street and 26 Federal Plaza
Expect intermittent closures and heavier NYPD presence
Subway crowding near Canal Street and City Hall stations
Use Midtown routes to JFK and LaGuardia, skip downtown bridges
For Newark, favor Lincoln Tunnel or George Washington Bridge
Rail options bypass street closures entirely

Impact

What Changed: Following a federal enforcement action in Chinatown, protesters are staging rolling demonstrations near Canal Street and 26 Federal Plaza.
Why It Matters: Street closures and crowding in Lower Manhattan can delay airport transfers to JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark.
Dates: Demonstrations active October 22, 2025, with intermittent activity expected into the evening.
What To Do: Avoid Lower Manhattan routes; use Midtown tunnels, uptown crossings, or rail options to reach airports.

Protesters gathered on October 22, 2025, around Canal Street from Broadway to Lafayette Street and outside 26 Federal Plaza after a federal enforcement action in Chinatown. Expect intermittent street closures, heavier NYPD presence, and subway crowding near Canal Street and City Hall. Travelers heading to or from New York area airports should avoid Lower Manhattan bottlenecks during peak demonstration periods and shift to Midtown or uptown routes, or use rail to bypass street-level congestion. This guide explains what changed and how to reroute your transfer efficiently.

Canal Street and 26 Federal Plaza, what to know

Federal agents conducted an operation on Canal Street on October 21 that led to arrests and evening protests at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building at 26 Federal Plaza. Demonstrations continued into October 22 with visible police presence across the Canal Street corridor. Expect periodically blocked lanes, slower crosstown traffic, and heavy foot traffic around Lafayette, Centre, and Broadway. Subways serving Canal Street and City Hall may see platform crowding even when trains run normally.

Analysis

If you are transferring to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), favor Midtown routes that avoid downtown bridges and tunnels. From Midtown or the Upper East Side, use the Queens Midtown Tunnel to the Long Island Expressway, then Interstate 678, the Van Wyck, to JFK. From the Upper West Side, cross to Queens via the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, then Grand Central Parkway to the Van Wyck. Rail is the cleanest alternative: Long Island Rail Road from Penn Station to Jamaica, then AirTrain JFK, which avoids street closures entirely.

For LaGuardia Airport (LGA), avoid Canal Street, the Manhattan Bridge, and the Brooklyn Bridge approaches. From Midtown, use the Queens Midtown Tunnel to the Long Island Expressway, then Grand Central Parkway to LaGuardia. From uptown Manhattan, the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to Grand Central Parkway is typically faster during Lower Manhattan disruptions. If you prefer transit, use the Long Island Rail Road or the E, F, M, R subway to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue, then connect to the Q70 Select Bus to the terminals.

For Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), skip the Holland Tunnel and approaches near Canal Street. From Midtown, use the Lincoln Tunnel to the New Jersey Turnpike. From uptown, consider the George Washington Bridge to the Turnpike southbound. Rail again avoids protest zones: take NJ Transit from Penn Station to Newark Liberty International Airport Station, then the AirTrain to your terminal.

Background: The Canal Street corridor includes multiple subway complexes and serves as a feeder to downtown bridges and the Holland Tunnel. When demonstrations occur near City Hall and Federal Plaza, crosstown traffic and bridge access can back up quickly, even when closures are brief. Rail options from Midtown limit your exposure to these choke points and are less sensitive to rolling street actions.

If you are booked this afternoon or evening, build in extra buffer time and monitor your airline for any gate holds related to late-arriving crews or passengers. Our daily delay outlook can help you anticipate knock-on effects at New York-area hubs. See our latest coverage: Flight delays and airport impacts: October 21, 2025, and broader system risks in Shutdown hasn't spiked delays, but FAA staffing is a risk.

Final thoughts

Rolling demonstrations around Canal Street and 26 Federal Plaza can gridlock Lower Manhattan. To keep your airport transfer on time, avoid downtown crossings, use Midtown or uptown routes, or switch to rail. These steps minimize exposure to closures and crowding while protests continue on October 22. Keep monitoring conditions and be ready to adjust if the protest footprint shifts.