The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that trains and buses will operate on special schedules between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1 in association with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

 

To encourage the use of mass transit and to ease congestion on New York City streets during the holiday period, the MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are offering free rides on the Q70 Select Bus Service (SBS) LaGuardia Link from Monday, Dec. 16, to Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. The Q70 SBS connects the  subway lines and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to LaGuardia Terminals B, C and D, providing a worry-free limited-stop ride with customer amenities designed for travelers. Stops for Q70 SBS LaGuardia Link are distinctly marked outside LIRR’s Woodside Station/61 St-Woodside  subway station and the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av /74 St-Broadway  Subway subway station complex. Customers boarding at LaGuardia Terminals B, C, and D can spot the LaGuardia Link buses via their distinctive blue exterior design and SBS signage. Customers are urged to allow extra time due to ongoing construction near LaGuardia Airport and increased holiday traffic. More information on MTA various services to New York area airports is available here: http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/airport.htm

 

Service details for all agencies can be found at this link: https://new.mta.info/holiday-schedule-2019

 

 

Extra getaway railroad service: Starting at 12:45 p.m., extra Long Island Rail Road trains will depart Penn Station and extra Metro-North Railroad trains will depart Grand Central. All trains are noted in timetables, the MYmta app, and trip planning tools at MTA.info. For details on train departure times, see: https://new.mta.info/holiday-schedule-2019

 

 

Subways and buses will run on a Sunday schedule. The Staten Island Railway will run on a Saturday schedule. LIRR trains will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule and off-peak fares will be in effect all day. Metro-North trains will operate on a special holiday schedule with hourly service on most line segments, and regular weekend service on all branch lines.

 

 

Extra getaway railroad service: Starting at 12:45 p.m., extra LIRR trains will depart Penn Station and extra Metro-North trains will depart Grand Central.

 

Extra railroad service to NYC: Between 5 p.m. & 10 p.m., the LIRR and Metro-North will operate extra trains to New York City for those looking to ring in the new year with celebrations in the city.

 

All trains are noted in timetables, the MYmta app, and trip planning tools at MTA.info. 

 

Drinking alcohol on LIRR or Metro-North trains and stations is banned from noon New Year's Eve until noon New Year's Day.

 

 

Extra early-morning railroad service: The LIRR and Metro-North will operate lots of extra trains during the wee hours of the morning to allow folks who have been celebrating the new year to return home safely and comfortably. All trains are noted in timetables, the MYmta app, and trip planning tools at MTA.info.

 

Subways and buses will run on a Sunday schedule. The Staten Island Railway will run on a Saturday schedule. The LIRR will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule and off-peak fares will be in effect all day.  Metro-North will operate hourly service on most line segments, and regular weekend service on branch lines.

 

 

MTA Bridges and Tunnels will suspend all lane closures related to routine maintenance and temporary construction work starting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 23 through the morning rush on Dec. 26, and again from 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 through the morning rush on Jan 2. Any extraordinary weather-critical work that must be accomplished over the holiday weekend would occur only during overnight hours when traffic is at its lightest.

 

 

Information about the planned schedule change noted in this press release, and all planned service changes, is available through the MTA’s real-time service information sources.

 

MYmta app – Customers who use the new, comprehensive MYmta app will see real-time travel information for all MTA services all in one place, with push notifications when service is not operating normally. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route.

MTA.info – The rail tab of the “Service Status” box at new.MTA.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each line, updated every minute.

 

Email and text message service updates – Customers are urged to sign up to receive the alerts by visiting MyMTAAlerts.com. To avoid unwanted messages, a user can tailor the messages to the specific branch, and the specific times of day.

 

Twitter – Twitter users can follow @MTA, @NYCTSubway, @NYCTBus, @LIRR and @MetroNorth to receive updates of a similar nature to the email and text alerts, shortened to fit Twitter’s format.

 

The above communications channels can be accessed while at home or on the go. For customers who are located at stations, the MTA will post the latest service updates on digital signs at station platforms and will make audio announcements over public address systems, and on-board announcements made by train crews.

 

For those who prefer the telephone, information is available from the Metro-North’s Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line. For customers calling from Connecticut, the number is: 877-690-5114. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the MTA at 511.