What the US Open Does to New York's Ground Transportation Network

What the US Open does to New York’s ground transportation network is a two-week surge that overwhelms one corner of Queens beginning around August 30. The USTA says the tournament drew more than 1.1 million fans in 2025, marking the second consecutive year it topped one million. While the tennis happens on-site, the logistical strain is what repeatedly drives congestion as the grounds fill, empty, and refill with day and night sessions. The area’s road design concentrates traffic toward the Grand Central Parkway, with the Van Wyck Expressway and Northern Boulevard covering overflow, yet both have limited capacity. The 7 train on the IRT Flushing Line carries more riders to Mets-Willets Point than any other single mode, but night-session departures funnel crowds onto a single elevated platform. LaGuardia is also nearby, sharing Grand Central Parkway ramps, so arriving flights inherit the same jam.