MTV VMAs to be in Newark on Monday: Expect snow day traffic

NEWARK — The MTV Video Music Awards on Monday night will cause a day's worth of traffic issues and the city is urging businesses to treat the day as if a snowstorm were coming.

Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, John Travolta, members of the U.S. women's soccer team and former New York Giant Victor Cruz top the list of performers and presenters at the first VMAs show to be held in New Jersey, which is expected to bring thousands into downtown Newark.‎

Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement that road closures for the evening event at the Prudential Center will begin as early as Sunday with most going into effect on Monday and lasting until early Tuesday morning.

“It would be a mistake to underestimate the impact the VMA Awards are going to have on the downtown and the main roads in and out of the city," Ambrose said.

The closure expected to have the biggest impact is Mulberry Street from Lafayette to Market streets, which run in front of the Prudential Center and an area used by many for parking.

Baraka and Ambrose encouraged downtown businesses to treat the event as if there were a major blizzard were descending on the city and suggested that businesses stagger their hours and let employees work from home on Monday. Those who have to come in should use public transportation, they said.

“We cannot stress enough the impact that this event will have on downtown traffic and traffic around Penn Station,” Ambrose said. “We will have many traffic control officers in place, but they can’t stop gridlock if employers and employees people don’t heed this advice and either take mass transit, stagger hours, or let people work from home.”

“It would be a mistake to underestimate the impact the VMA Awards are going to have on the downtown and the main roads in and out of the city.

Sunday, Aug. 25, from 1 to 8 p.m.

· Mulberry Street between Market Street and Lafayette Street

Monday, Aug. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
· Mulberry Street, from Lafayette Street to Market Street
· Franklin Street

Monday, Aug. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. (Extended Street Closure)
· Mulberry Street, from Raymond Boulevard and Green Street

Monday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
· Market Street between Washington Street and McCarter Highway
· Edison Place between Broad Street and McCarter Highway

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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