The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) wants to make it as easy as possible for New Yorkers to travel throughout the region during the long holiday weekend from Wednesday, November 22, through Sunday, November 26. The MTA is offering free Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport, rides on vintage subway trains and buses, and lots of special service on the commuter railroads. Details are below.

 

 

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 Friday, November 17, to Sunday, November 26. The Q70 SBS connects the  subway lines and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to LaGuardia’s 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. More information on MTA various services to New York area airports is available here.

 

 

The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will provide extra early afternoon train service on Wednesday, November 22, to help travelers get an easier start to the long holiday weekend. From Thursday through Sunday, both railroads will offer off-peak fares and lots of train service to make it easy to travel around the region for shopping, dining and entertainment. For additional details, please see the attached press releases from the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.

 

 

The New York City Subway will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. The 57  St station will be closed for entry and exit from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. To prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms, some subway entrances at 34 St-Herald Sq , 34 St-Penn Station , 59 St-Columbus Circle  and 72 St  may be closed or designated as exit-only. 

 

MTA New York City Transit encourages the use of mass transit to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The closest subway stations to the start of parade route are 79 St , 81 St , and 59 St-Columbus Circle .  There will be additional service on the 42 St  Shuttle as well as increased early morning service on the  line to accommodate spectators. 

 

The Thanksgiving weekend marks the start of MTA New York City Transit’s longstanding annual tradition of offering holiday vintage rides on subways and buses between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, all for the swipe of a MetroCard. On Sunday afternoons from November 26 to December 24, New York City Transit will run its “Shoppers Special” train consisting of eight cars from the 1930s that operated on the lettered lines until the late 1970s.

 

As part of the MTA’s celebration of this year’s opening of the Second Avenue Subway, the “Shoppers Special” will run on the Second Avenue Subway line from 96 St  to Lexington Av/63 St , then make local stops along the Sixth Avenue  line to 2 Av . The first run of each Sunday departs at 10 a.m. from 2 Av and the last run of the day departs at 5 p.m. from 96 St.

 

 

Buses operated by MTA New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Company will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. Many routes do not operate on Sundays or do not run on part of the route at certain hours. Customers traveling on Thanksgiving Day should check Sunday schedules, lines and routes.

 

All bus service in Manhattan may experience delays, especially those routes operating near the parade route such as the M7, M10, M11, and M79 SBS. Details will be provided at mta.info under “Service Status.” On Friday, November 24, service will operate on a weekday schedule with some exceptions listed at mta.info.

 

MTA New York City Transit also will offer rides on its vintage bus fleet on the M42 route beginning Monday, December 4, to Friday, December 22. A variety of vintage buses will operate along the crosstown route between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, weather permitting.

 

 

MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) customers looking to get a head start on the Thanksgiving Day holiday will be able to catch earlier afternoon express train service on Wednesday, November 22 with SIR's Early Departure Getaway schedule. Extra SIR trains will be added earlier in the afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal.  One express train and one local train await every ferry until 7:50 p.m. On Thanksgiving Day, SIR will operate on a Saturday schedule.