# Are people allowed to drive in NYC?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 27, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040 "2015-01-27T19:34:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/1 "2015-01-27T19:34:40Z")
My father who lives in the Bronx is telling me about this snow storm that’s happening. He is telling me that no one is allowed to drive in NYC, and if you get caught driving you can get a ticket. This doesn’t seem right (or even constitutional) to me. I live in a place that gets a lot of snow and the police will sometimes recommend that people not drive, but they don’t enforce it. Can I get a ticket if I drive in NYC?
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/2 "2015-01-27T19:41:11Z")
Travel bans are pretty common in a snow emergency. This allows for roads to be cleared, emergency vehicles to get through, and stops lots of accidents from happening. And yes, you’ll get a ticket if you don’t have a good reason for being out.
> **[Live: Blizzard forces NYC to shut down](https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/26/live-the-blizzard-of-2015.html)**
>
> Thousands of flights were scrapped and big cities readied fleets of snowplows as the Northeast steeled itself for a blockbuster winter storm.
> [@](#):
>
> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference that driving would be banned in 13 New York counties. All public transportation, including subways, will be closed at that time too, he said.
>
> “This is a serious situation, if you violate this state order it’s a possible misdemeanor, it’s fines up to $300,” the governor said.
>
> New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced a travel ban on NYC streets for non-emergency vehicles starting at 11 p.m. ET.
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/3 "2015-01-27T19:44:00Z")
> [@copperwindow](#):
>
> This doesn’t seem right (or even constitutional) to me.
What provision of the Constitution do you think grants a right to drive anywhere at any time?
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/4 "2015-01-27T19:45:22Z")
Freedom of assembly?
---
### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/5 "2015-01-27T19:46:24Z")
Driving is not a right, and is licensed by the state (check your wallet). Since the state licenses it, the state can make regulations.
Technically, I suppose the mayor has to ask the DMV to make the ruling, but they won’t give him any trouble about it.
---
### Author:  [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/6 "2015-01-27T19:46:29Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> Travel bans are pretty common in a snow emergency. This allows for roads to be cleared, emergency vehicles to get through, and stops lots of accidents from happening. And yes, you’ll get a ticket if you don’t have a good reason for being out.
>
> [Live: Blizzard forces NYC to shut down](http://www.cnbc.com/id/102366606)
What constitutes “a good reason”? If I’m driving from Delaware to Connecticut on I95, are there signs telling me that I can’t drive?
---
### Author:  [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/7 "2015-01-27T19:47:05Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> Freedom of assembly?
Oh, you’re perfectly free to assemble. You just have to be willing to walk there.
---
### Author:  [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/8 "2015-01-27T19:51:25Z")
Sometimes Indiana has moratoria on driving, which means you need a good reason to be on the road, like being critical at work. I had a card I carried at one job when I worked with an agency the served disabled people, and once every six weeks, I carried the emergency pager. Sometimes when I got paged, I had to go out. I went out in some pretty bad weather, but I don’t think I ever went out during a moratorium. I was ready, though.
---
### Author:  [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/9 "2015-01-27T19:58:19Z")
> [@leftfield6](#):
>
> Oh, you’re perfectly free to assemble. You just have to be willing to walk there.
Given that cars didn’t exist when the constitution was drafted, I don’t see how there could be a constitutional right to use one. Besides, I think since drivers have been licensed, driving has been viewed as a privilege, and not a right. It can be taken away for all kinds of reasons. We don’t, for example, have to have closed tracks inside prisons so that prisoners can exercise their constitutional right to drive, the way we have chapels, and other provisions in prisons, so prisoners can exercise their right to freedom of religion.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/10 "2015-01-27T20:19:29Z")
Plenty of people traveled in NYC this morning. But how is that possible if it was illegal for them to drive and the transit system was closed? :eek: They strapped on their [del]big-girl panties[/del] boots and walked. :smack: [Like some people do every day.](https://www.google.com/search?q=People+walking+to+work+in+NYC&rlz=1C1FLDB_enUS513US513&espv=2&biw=1202&bih=659&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OfHHVPO6OY34yQTY1oKICQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=People+walking+to+work+in+NYC) :rolleyes:
---
### Author:  [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/11 "2015-01-27T20:21:32Z")
Posting from NYC here. The travel ban was lifted and the subways were running as of 9:00 AM this morning. I went to work on the subway just like any other day. And I saw plenty of cars on the streets.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/12 "2015-01-27T20:25:31Z")
Earlier in the morning, before the subway system reopened. Like [some people](https://twitter.com/savannahguthrie) whose jobs start earlier than the usual 9-5. (And in that particular case are paid handsomely for the inconvenience. 🙂 )
---
### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/13 "2015-01-27T20:28:34Z")
> [@copperwindow](#):
>
> My father who lives in the Bronx is telling me about this snow storm that’s happening. He is telling me that no one is allowed to drive in NYC, and if you get caught driving you can get a ticket. This doesn’t seem right (or even constitutional) to me. I live in a place that gets a lot of snow and the police will sometimes recommend that people not drive, but they don’t enforce it. Can I get a ticket if I drive in NYC?
The vehicle ban lasted from 11pm Monday to 9am Tuesday. But between those hours you could be ticketed for being in a vehicle on the road (including a bicycle) unless you were providing emergency services.
I would note it was not illegal to be a pedestrian on the street at any time. No curfew was imposed.
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/14 "2015-01-27T20:29:52Z")
> [@copperwindow](#):
>
> What constitutes “a good reason”? If I’m driving from Delaware to Connecticut on I95, are there signs telling me that I can’t drive?
There are here in MA. But before the electronic signs were installed it was the driver’s responsibility to know when a ban went into effect. This isn’t rocket science and it’s not like folks were unaware of the storm.
---
### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/15 "2015-01-27T20:34:31Z")
Nobody drives in NYC, anyway. There’s too much traffic.
---
### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/16 "2015-01-27T22:33:01Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> Freedom of assembly?
Nobody is stopping you from putting the car together, you just can’t test drive it…
---
### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/17 "2015-01-27T22:40:21Z")
> [@friedo](#):
>
> Nobody drives in NYC, anyway. There’s too much traffic.
On my one visit to NYC, I was amazed at all the vehicles, mostly taxis.
---
### Author:  [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/18 "2015-01-28T00:41:22Z")
> [@copperwindow](#):
>
> What constitutes “a good reason”? If I’m driving from Delaware to Connecticut on I95, are there signs telling me that I can’t drive?
There will likely be reminders of travel bans on those LED signs on highways that warn motorists of various traffic issues. Also, be advised that there is a travel ban in CT, although I believe it was lifted for Fairfield County (the first county over the CT border if you enter via NYC on I-95).
---
### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/19 "2015-01-28T01:08:06Z")
in the interest of promoting a stable city horses were allowed.
---
### Author:  [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040/20 "2015-01-28T01:11:16Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#):
>
> Given that cars didn’t exist when the constitution was drafted, I don’t see how there could be a constitutional right to use one. Besides, I think since drivers have been licensed, driving has been viewed as a privilege, and not a right…
Are horse-drawn vehicles included in the ban? E.g. can I drive up to Amish Country, borrow some guy’s buggy, and ride it into NYC legally? Yes, I know it is probably not a good idea. I’m pretty sure you can’t have horse-drawn vehicles on the New Jersey Turnpike, so I’d have to stay on the back roads.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-allowed-to-drive-in-nyc/711040.md?page=2)