With the Thanksgiving weekend upon us, the Macy’s parade on Thursday and the shopping frenzy that is Black Friday, the next few days will be challenging ones for commuters.
Here are all the street closures that have been announced so far by the NYPD, as well as mass transit changes outlined by the MTA for the four-day Thanksgiving Weekend.
Mass transit
Officials recommend taking mass transit whenever possible between Wednesday and Sunday. The MTA has announced a number of changes to accommodate commuters, including suspending maintenance on bridges and tunnels.
Subways will operate normally except on Thanksgiving Day, when they will operate on a Sunday schedule. There will be additional shuttle service at 42nd Street and increased morning service on the 1 line for people trying to get to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Buses will also operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. Several routes will be affected by the parade: M4, M5, M7, M10, M20, M31, M34/34A SBS, M42, M50, M57, M66, M72, M79, M104, BxM2 Q32, QM2, QM4, QM5, QM6 and X1. Additional details can be found at www.mta.info
Staten Island Railway will provide earlier afternoon express train service on Wednesday. The SIR will operate on a Saturday schedule on Thanksgiving.
Street Closures
Try to avoid the Upper West Side on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2015, where Central Park West to Columbus Avenue will be closed to traffic beginning at 9:30 a.m. for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation. Here are the other street closures for that day:
Starting at 1 p.m., West 79th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues will be closed to vehicles.
Starting at 3 p.m., the following streets will also be closed:
-West 76th Street between Columbus and Central Park West Avenues
-West 77th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
-West 78th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
-West 80th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
-West 81st Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
-Central Park Transverse Road at Central Park West and West 81 Street in both directions.
After 10 p.m., 81st and 77th streets from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue and Central Park West from 59th to 86th streets will also be closed to traffic.
On Thursday, the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will wind through midtown, causing a headache of street closures for anyone crazy enough to drive in Manhattan. The parade begins forming at 8 a.m., then begins at 9 a.m.
Here are the street closures:
Parade formation is at West 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue; West 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue; and Central Park West between West 77th and 86th Streets
The parade starts at Central Park West and 77th Street and follows this route:
-South on Central Park West to Columbus Circle
-South through E/S Columbus Circle to 59th Street
-East on 59th Street to Sixth Avenue
-South on 6th Avenue to 34th Street
-West on 34th Street to Seventh Avenue
Additional street closures include:
-Broadway between West 34th and West 38th streets – Midnight to 1 p.m.
-Sixth Avenue between West 23rd and West 42nd streets, 2 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-Seventh Avenue from West 34th and West 42nd streets, 2 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
-34th Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues, 10 p.m. (Wed) to 5 p.m.
-59th Street E/B between Seventh Avenue and Central Park West, Midnight to 2 p.m.
-59th Street W/B between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West, 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-35th Street between Fifth and Eighth avenues, 2 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-36th Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues, 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-37th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-38th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 4 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-8th Avenue between 34th and 40th streets, 4 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
-Broadway between 38th and 59th streets, 4 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
-33rd Street between Seventh and 10th avenues, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-39th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-40th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenues, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-49th Street between Fifth and Eighth avenues, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-50th Street between Fifth and Seventh avenues – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-Central Park 65th Street/66th Street Transverse Roads, 7 a.m. until conclusion
