The ten Sanitation Department trucks that pulled up to Trump Tower on election day, lining Fifth Avenue from 56th Street to 57th Street, didn't rev up and pull away when the shocking news of Trump's victory came through early Tuesday morning. To the contrary, security around Trump's eponymous abode is doubling down. The trucks are part of a security mechanism that tens of thousands of protesters encountered on Wednesday night. Also yesterday, police and Secret Service agents barricaded 56th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues—a blockade against any explosive-laden vehicles. A no-fly zone is in place overhead until January 21st.

An anonymous source told the Daily News this week that heightened security at Trump Tower is the new normal for "as long Trump is in office." And while the NYPD declined to elaborate—"we do not discuss the specifics of security"—transit expert Sam "Gridlock" Schwartz, who served as the DOT's Chief Engineer in the 1990s, is predicting that between barricades and protests, the impact on Midtown traffic will be significant.

"I'd say from now until Jan 21, 2021 Fifth Avenue will have one or more lanes closed for security reasons every day," Schwartz told Gothamist. "Even when he's not in town there will always be a police detail there."

"If you go to the Stock Exchange, at Broadway and Hall, there's been a permanent police detail there since 9/11," he added. "You're going to see something similar here."

The closures will likely run between 55th and 59th Streets, according to Schwartz. "56th, 57th, 58th and 59th Streets are all access roads to the Queensboro bridge, so you can see how overloaded the streets will get," he said. "And that means more people will use the Queens Midtown Tunnel. All of the streets are now overloaded, so they'll be jammed even further."

The impact will extend beyond taxis, Ubers and private cars. "Fifth Avenue is a major express bus street," Schwartz added. "Lots of buses, particularly from the Bronx, come down. Plus local buses." The M1, M2, M3, and M4 and M5 buses run on Fifth Avenue, and the M31 and and M57 buses run crosstown on 57th Street. This morning, NYC got a dose of public transit woes in the area.

Due to police activity, 56th St btwn Madison Ave & 6th Ave in MN is closed in both directions until further notice.Consider alternate routes — NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) November 10, 2016

Finally, Schwartz predicts Trump Tower will remain a popular site for protests, like the one that shut down Fifth Avenue traffic last night. Already, a large one has been planned for Saturday.

"It's far more easily accessible than the White House is for protests, and from a media point of view it's just as visible," he said. "There will be just as much tension. And you're likely to aggravate more people if you have your demonstration in Manhattan as opposed to Washington DC."

Mayor de Blasio also anticipated future protests during a Thursday press conference. "The NYPD will come up with a plan, but there's a clear position in this country that we let people protest, so protestors shouldn't be moved too far away [from the tower]," he said.

But the mayor predicted the gridlock will die down in a few months, post-inauguration. "It's a challenge but not an overwhelming challenge," de Blasio said. "We're talking about the next few months."

"Look at the bright side," he added. "The holidays are coming up and Midtown will be all messed up anyway."

#Protest activity: Expect traffic delays throughout Manhattan, including Union Sq, Times Sq & Columbus Circle. Consider alternate routes. — NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) November 10, 2016

Last week, Secret Service sources told the NY Post that they "strongly recommend" a President Trump spend little time in the middle of Manhattan, inside a building frequented by tourists and other residents. "He's not liked," one source said. "So there's the concern of someone taking a shot at him."

De Blasio said Thursday that the possibility of Trump living in Trump Tower as president would be "untenable” given the realities of how governing works today.

But Trump, who is not a man known for seeking or taking advice, has a documented fondness for his gilded Trump Tower penthouse. This is the guy, after all, who spared no expense to fly home to NYC every night on the campaign trail.

The Department of Transportation deferred comment on any traffic pattern changes to the NYPD; the MTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on alternate bus routes.