The MTA announced Tuesday that it will expand rail service and offer free access to bus lines to the city’s airports to ease congestion on streets and highways in advance of the holidays.
FREE BUSES TO LAGUARDIA AIRPORT
From Tuesday, November 24 through Sunday, November 28, the MTA and the Port Authority offer free rides on the Q70 Select bus service, which connects Long Island Rail Road and the 7, E, F, M and R trains at LaGuardia Airport Terminals, B, C and D. Stops for Q70 SBS LaGuardia Link are marked outside the Woodside and Jackson Heights LIRR stations. At LaGuardia, travelers can view the LaGuardia Link buses through their distinctive blue exterior designs and SBS signage.
ADDITIONAL AFTERNOON SERVICE ON LIRR, METRO-NORTH AND SIR
The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that before Thanksgiving, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, there will be peak congestion in New York City. During that period, the train system will offer additional service. Download the LIRR TrainTime app or visit mta.info. for more details.
Long Island Rail Road will operate 12 additional trains departing from Penn Station from 12:45 pm to 4:15 pm Wednesday, November 24. The additional service will include four additional trains at the Babylon branch, three at the Port Jefferson / Huntington branch, two at the Ronkonkoma branch and one at the Rockaway, Montauk and Port Washington branches.
Metro-North will offer 10 additional trains departing from Grand Central Station from 12:05 to 3:05 pm on Wednesday. The additional service will include three trains on the Hudson Line, two on the Harlem Line, five on the New Haven Line and one on the Port Jervis Line.
The Staten Island Railroad offers additional trains from 2:30 to 7:50 pm, an express train and a local train will wait for each ferry arriving at the St. George Ferry Terminal.
SUSPENDED CONSTRUCTION WORK
The MTA Bridges and Tunnels will suspend temporary lane closures during the day from 6 a.m. Wednesday, November 24 through Monday, November 29 to ease congestion. Any “critical” overtime work that needs to be done over the weekend will be done at night, when there is less traffic.
THANKSGIVING DAY SERVICE
On Thanksgiving Thursday, New York City buses and subways will operate on a Sunday schedule, and the Staten Island Railroad will operate on a Saturday schedule.
For the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the MTA offers:
- Additional service on the 42 Street Shuttle and increased service early in the morning on Line 1
- 17 extra Long Island Rail Road trains. Six additional westbound trains will depart Long Island from 6 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., and 11 additional eastbound trains will depart from Penn Station between 11 a.m. and 1:35 p.m.
- Metro-North will offer additional morning inbound service and extended outbound service from late morning to mid-afternoon.
On Friday, November 26, the New York City subway and buses will operate on a Monday through Friday schedule, with a few exceptions. Long Island Rail Road will operate on a regular schedule Monday through Friday with off-peak fares throughout the day. Metro-North will operate extended hours with additional inbound service in the morning and outbound service in the afternoon. The Staten Island Railroad will operate on a regular schedule Monday through Friday.
All MTA buses, subways and commuter trains will offer regular weekend hours from November 27-28.
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