The Great North American Eclipse will arrive on April 8, as will hundreds of thousands of people in New York City. This once-in-a-generation happening—which will draw a massive surge of people who will arrive in and around the city to witness it—is likely to cause major traffic jams in and around New York.

Governor Kathy Hochul stated that travelers should expect high levels of traffic due to the variety of eclipse-viewing events that are set to be held on the day. To help reduce the swells in traffic, construction and lane closures will be halted during the eclipse. Gov. Hochul has been quoted as saying that her administration has been working tirelessly to ensure that everyone in the path of the eclipse can safely enjoy the rare event. She encourages anyone traveling during the experience to arrive early and stay late to enjoy all that the state of New York can offer.

Niagara County expects at least one million tourists to attend the multitude of events, according to The Points Guy, Clint Henderson.

Kathryn Garcia, the director of state operations, stated that they “love that so many people are planning to come to experience the eclipse,” but that they “don’t want everyone to spend most of their trip stuck in traffic.”

To help New York and the surrounding areas avoid getting trapped in traffic jams or delayed on their commutes, the state is recommending that drivers should prepare for high-volume traffic over the weekend and through April 9, even though the city area will miss out on the chance of total darkness. The FAA is also warning travelers to expect delays, as well as potential cancelations on the week of the eclipse.

The path of totality will run from Jamestown through Rochester and then to Plattsburgh, which will cause traffic hot spots in the northern and western parts of the state. As a result, the New York State Thruway Authority released a list of dos and don’ts for travel. These include:

  • Getting to your destination early and staying late
  • Adding extra time to reach your destination
  • Not parking on the shoulder of highways or stopping in the middle of traffic
  • Not standing on the side of highways

The following hot spots for the celestial event are likely to cause traffic jams. These include Niagara Falls, approximately 400 miles from NYC; Rochester, approximately 340 miles from NYC; The Finger Lakes, approximately 250 miles from NYC; Buffalo, approximately 370 miles from NYC; Syracuse, approximately 260 miles from NYC; and Lake Placid, which is approximately 290 miles from NYC.

State authorities and NASA alike are advising residents and travelers to use eye protection when viewing the eclipse. According to an eclipse safety guide on NASA.com, “Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.” As a result, they advise viewing the sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar view during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.