November 22, 2021
UPDATE: Changes to some holiday bus schedules in red |
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Reminder: MTA Is the Best Way to Travel During Four-Day Thanksgiving Weekend |
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MTA Launches Extra Early and Getaway Service on LIRR & Metro-North on Wednesday, Nov. 24 Q70 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport Free Nov. 23-28 MTA Bridges and Tunnels Will Suspend Maintenance at Nine Crossings to Facilitate Increased Travel The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and its legion of customer ambassadors are preparing to help millions of holiday travelers get to their holiday destinations during the 2021 Thanksgiving weekend. Trains and buses across the MTA system will operate on special schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 28 – with lots of extra railroad service on Wednesday afternoon – to accommodate the unique travel demands of Thanksgiving weekend. As previously announced, the LIRR and Metro-North will offer tickets at off-peak prices at all times through the rest of 2021. Customers are encouraged to buy tickets in advance, and those traveling into Manhattan can purchase a 10-trip off-peak ticket to save 30% to 40% off the one-way fare. The ticket can be used by more than one person, even when traveling together. The “Family Fare” costs $1 per ticket for up to four children (ages 5 to 11) when they are traveling with a fare-paying adult. The LIRR and Metro-North recommend customers use MTA eTtix, the mobile ticketing app, to buy one-way, round-trip, 10 trip, weekly and monthly passes, as well as reduced fare tickets, child and family fare tickets and military tickets, on smartphones or mobile devices. To encourage the use of mass transit and to ease congestion on New York City streets during the Thanksgiving holiday, 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 Tuesday, Nov. 23, to Sunday, Nov. 28. 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 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. MTA Bridges and Tunnels will suspend temporary daytime lane closures related to routine maintenance and construction work beginning 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, through the end of the morning rush on Monday, Nov. 29 to accommodate motorists throughout the busy travel weekend. 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. Wednesday, Nov. 24: Extra Early Afternoon Service on LIRR, Metro-North and SIR
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25: Take the Subway to Macy’s Parade
Getting to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West and ends in front of Macy’s at Herald Square (34th Street). The closest subway stations to the start of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the at 72 St, the at 79 St, the at 81 St, and the at 59 St-Columbus Circle. There will be additional service on the 42 Street Shuttle as well as increased early morning service on the line to accommodate spectators. In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms, some subway entrances at 59 St-Columbus Circle will be closed. Trains will bypass 72 St on the and 57 St on the line between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. In addition, select exits and entrances will be closed at Penn Station, and other stations along the Sixth Avenue line. The LIRR schedule is supplemented with 17 extra trains timed perfectly for those attending the Thanksgiving Day Parade or otherwise visiting the city. There will be six extra westbound trains originating on Long Island between 6 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. (two each on the Babylon Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch, and one each on the Montauk Branch and Port Jefferson Branch), and 11 extra eastbound trains departing Penn Station between 11 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. (four each on the Babylon Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch, two on the Port Jefferson/Huntington Branch and one on the Montauk Branch). Metro-North will provide additional inbound morning service for customers going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There will also be expanded outbound service starting in the late morning and continuing until mid-afternoon for customers traveling to suburban destinations. Finally, there will be expanded evening service for customers returning to New York City. West of Hudson Service
Bus service in Manhattan may experience delays, and will be affected by reroutes, detours, and/or frozen zones, especially those routes operating in Midtown near the parade. The 79th Street Transverse Road will be closed from 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, to noon Thursday, Nov. 25, and buses will not be permitted to cross during this time. Details will be provided at new.mta.info under “Service Status.” Black Friday, Nov. 26 On Black Friday, Nov. 26, most subway lines will operate on regular weekday schedules. The will only operate between Jamaica-179 St and Kings Hwy and will be replaced by free shuttle buses between Kings Hwy and Coney Island. The Staten Island Railway will operate on a regular weekday schedule. Metro-North will operate on an expanded Saturday schedule with additional inbound service in the morning and outbound service in the afternoon to accommodate the Friday workforce and Black Friday shoppers, as well as half-hourly service on the Harlem Line to/from North White Plains. West of Hudson, a regular weekday schedule is in effect. Metro-North will operate an expanded Saturday schedule with extra service in the traditional AM and PM peak periods. Saturday, Nov. 27, and Sunday, Nov. 28 New York City Transit, the LIRR and Metro-North, including West of Hudson service, will operate on regular weekend schedules. For real-time service updates and information, rail commuters and motorists can use the following options:
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. |
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