Don’t strike out and get stuck in traffic. As baseball season begins, the MTA’s subways, railroads and buses are ready to get you to all Yankees and Mets home games while avoiding the expense of parking or aggravation of post-game traffic congestion.

 

The Mets’ home opener is scheduled for Monday, April 3, and the Yankees’ is on Monday, April 10. All season long, getting to the stadiums is stress free when you ride the MTA. Here are details of game-day service to Citi Field and Yankee Stadium.

 

 

The  train’s Mets-Willets Point station is right in front of Citi Field on Roosevelt Avenue near 126th Street. Fans can always take either the local or the express  to reach Mets-Willets Point. After weeknight and weekend games, New York City Transit provides special super-express  trains timed to depart after the last out. After leaving the game, these trains make only six stops – 61 St-Woodside, Queensboro Plaza, Court Square, 42 St-Grand Central, 5 Av-Bryant Park, and Times Square-42 St.

 

MTA New York City Transit is offering a nostalgia train ride for fans heading to Citi Field for the Mets’ home opener on April 3. The vintage “Train of Many Colors,” consisting of 11 cars manufactured between 1948 and 1964, will make express stops from 34 St-Hudson Yards to Flushing-Main Street. Known for the cars’ varying color schemes that represent several different eras in subway history, the “Train of Many Colors” departs 34 St-Hudson Yards at 11:30 a.m. on April 3.

 

The LIRR provides direct service to the Mets-Willets Point station all season long via the Port Washington Branch, just 19 minutes from Penn Station. Citi Field is just 17 minutes from Great Neck and 27 minutes from Port Washington. Fans traveling from Long Island on other branches can reach Citi Field by changing at Woodside, just a five-minute ride from the stadium. Regularly scheduled Port Washington Branch trains will make stops at the Mets-Willets Point Station throughout the regular season for all games, and the LIRR will operate extra trains for each weekend game. Game day train schedules are available here: http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/MetsWilletsPoint.htm  

 

The LIRR encourages customers to purchase tickets using MTA eTix, the railroad’s mobile ticketing app which allows customers to buy tickets on their mobile device -- anytime, anywhere. Customers can also purchase tickets at the station before boarding their trains. Conductors will collect tickets upstairs at the station.

 

Fans who hold monthly tickets between stations on Long Island and Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal or other Zone 1 stations can travel to Mets-Willets Point at no additional charge.

 

The railroad’s special Family Fare is a great way to save. Children ages 5 through 11 can ride for only $1 each (each way). Children under 5 ride for free at all times. On weekends, fans coming from Penn Station, Woodside, Auburndale, Bayside, Broadway, Douglaston, Flushing-Main Street, Little Neck, or Murray Hill can save money by using CityTicket, which is just $4.25 one way.

 

Fans traveling from branches other than the Port Washington Branch who change at Woodside will not need a separate ticket for that leg of the journey.

 

Except on weeknight trains departing Penn Station between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., all game trains accept off-peak tickets.

 

Mets fans from the Hudson Valley or Connecticut can catch any Metro-North train to Grand Central to connect with the  subway to Citi Field. 

 

The Q48 stops at 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, right in front of Citi Field. The Q19 and Q66 stop at 126th Place and Northern Boulevard, four blocks from Citi Field (eastbound) or 126th Street and Northern Boulevard, two blocks from Citi Field (westbound). (Click on the links for route maps and real-time bus locations and arrival estimates through MTA Bus Time.)

 

 

MTA New York City Transit is continuing its annual Opening Day tradition of offering a nostalgia train ride from 42 St-Grand Central to 161 St-Yankee Stadium in time for the Yankees’ first pitch on April 10. A train consisting of four low-voltage cars from 1917 will depart at 11:30 a.m. from the uptown express platform of the Lexington Avenue Line  at 42 St-Grand Central and operate non-stop service to 161 St-Yankee Stadium.

 

The subway’s 161 St-Yankee Stadium station, with service on the ,  and  lines, is right next to the stadium at the corner of 161st Street and River Avenue. No matter when a game is being played, you can always take the  train. Or, you can take the  or  trains based on the following schedule.

 

To the game: For weekday evening games, use the  (arriving at the stadium between 4:15 and 6:55 p.m., otherwise use the ). For weekday afternoon games or weekend games, use the . After the game: After weekday evening games and weekend games, use the . After weekday afternoon games, the  stops at the stadium until 4:05 p.m.; after 4:05, the  and the  both stop at the stadium.

 

To the game: For weekday evening games, the  and the  both stop at the stadium. For all other games, use the . After the game: After weeknight games and weekend games, use the . After weekday afternoon games, the  stops at the stadium until 4:15 p.m.; thereafter it’s the .

 

Metro-North’s Yankees-E. 153rd Street Station is a short walk from the stadium and there is lots of extra service on all three Metro-North lines trains timed to let fans arrive for the first pitch and have a leisurely walk after the last out. While the game is in play, trains run every 20 minutes. Fans should check timetables, at this link: http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/yankees/yankee_service.htm

 

For all weeknight and weekend games, Metro-North provides special direct service to the stadium via special “Yankee Clipper” service. After the game, direct trains are timed to depart between 20 and 45 minutes after the last out. For weekday afternoon games (and as an alternative to the Yankee Clippers for all games), fans can take any train to Harlem-125th Street to change trains for a five-minute ride to Yankee Stadium.

 

While the Hudson Line has direct service to the station year-round, many local and express trains make special stops at the stadium on game days, and the Hudson Line also has “Yankee Clipper” trains timed specially for Yankee fans.

Metro-North encourages customers to purchase tickets using MTA eTix, the railroad’s mobile ticketing app which allows customers to buy tickets on their mobile device -- anytime, anywhere. Customers can also purchase tickets at the station before boarding their trains. Conductors will check tickets at the station.

 

Fans who hold monthly tickets to Grand Central Terminal or Harlem-125th Street station, can travel to Yankees-E. 153^rd Street at no additional charge. Fans who use the Port Jervis Line or Pascack Valley Line can use their monthly or weekly tickets to or from Hoboken or Penn Station New York for travel from Grand Central Terminal or from other stations on the Hudson Line (possibly with a small additional charge) to Yankees-E. 153rd Street station.

 

The railroad’s special Family Fare is a great way to save. Children ages 5 through 11 ride for only $1 each (each way). Children under 5 ride for free at all times. On weekends, fans coming from Grand Central or Harlem-125^th Street can save money by using CityTicket, which is just $4.25 one way.

 

Fans who change trains at Harlem-125^th Street, will not need a separate ticket for that leg of the journey.

 

Except weeknight trains departing Grand Central between 4 and 8 p.m., all game trains accept off-peak tickets.

 

Yankees fans from Long Island can catch any train to Penn Station for a 25-minute subway ride to Yankee Stadium. From Penn Station, catch an uptown  train for a two-stop ride to 125^th Street, where you can catch an uptown  or  train (depending on the game time) for a short three- or four-stop ride to the stadium.

 

The Bx6 and Bx13 stop right in front of the stadium at E. 161st Street and River Avenue. The Bx1 and Bx2 stop at E. 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, a three-block walk to the stadium. (Click on the links for route maps and real-time bus locations and arrival estimates through MTA Bus Time.)

 

The BxM4 express bus also stops at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, three blocks from the stadium. The bus provides half-hourly service to weeknight games and hourly service at other times. After the game, the bus stops hourly at 158th Street and the Grand Concourse.