MTA Bridges and Tunnels to Close Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to All Traffic Between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5
Upper Level Will Be Closed to Traffic in Both Directions Beginning at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the following service changes and updates for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon taking place on Sunday, Nov. 5.
“The MTA is so excited to have our iconic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge as the start of this race, and all of our employees are excited to support this event,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan. “Our message to runners and spectators is to take mass transit. It’s the best way to get to the race.”
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Closure
MTA Bridges and Tunnels, in coordination with the New York City Police Department, will close the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to all vehicular traffic between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, for the New York City-permitted TCS New York City Marathon. Motorists seeking to travel to Brooklyn or Staten Island via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge must use alternate routes.
In addition, on Saturday, Nov. 4, the upper level of the bridge will be closed to traffic in both directions beginning at 11:00 p.m. to allow for roadway preparation. Over-dimensional vehicles and vehicles containing hazardous materials will not be permitted to cross the bridge in either direction once that closure takes place. The Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits on Staten Island will close at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, and reopen at approximately 4:00 p.m.
Motorists can call the Verrazzano-Narrows Marathon Traffic Hotline at (718) 692-5656 to hear information about the closures.
Seeing the Race with MTA New York City Transit
MTA New York City Transit’s subway and buses will enable customers to get to the event from all parts of the city. Marathon revelers can use the MYmta app or mta.info for any last-minute subway or bus diversion details as the race progresses.
New York City Transit will stay in contact with the New York Road Runners Club, sharing information regarding any street closures and/or bus diversions that may arise. The Central Park Transverse Roads at 65th, 79th and 96th streets will be closed for most of the day and buses will not be permitted to cross Fifth Avenue during the race. Numerous other bus diversions will take place along the marathon route across the city.
On race day, runners traveling directly to Staten Island by ferry during the early morning hours can take the subway to South Ferry, the downtown to Whitehall St station, or the to Bowling Green station, then walk to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. Uptown riders traveling to South Ferry should transfer at Atlantic Av-Barclays Center for the to Bowling Green station, then walk to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. Shuttle buses will transport runners directly from the ferry terminal to School Road at Bay Street on Staten Island.
NYC Transit will be running gap train service on the line to assist with crowding at 72 St, 66 St, and 59 St stations in the vicinity of the finish line. The gap train will run between 96 St and South Ferry depending on service needs.
To ensure customers are able to travel to and from the race smoothly and safely, platform controllers will be deployed at stations surrounding the finishing area and other high priority viewing points, such as Queensboro Plaza and Lexington Av/59 St. In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms at subway stations, some stairways may be designated as “entrance or exit only.”
The MTA offers customers a variety of ways to receive real-time and planned service change information, as well as 24/7 customer support in their native language.
mta.info – The definitive source for real-time arrival information and service change information for each line or route in the MTA system. Customers can find current statuses on mta.info and upcoming planned service changes using the MTA’s lookup tool at mta.info/alerts.
MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time train and bus arrival times and other travel information for all MTA services all in one place. The app is available in the Apple Store and in Google Play.
Email & Text Alerts – Customers can sign up for email and SMS alerts tailored to their specific commutes and travel times. They can also sign up for MTA newsletters like The Weekender, a weekly newsletter that covers major weekend planned service changes. Customers can sign up here.
WhatsApp – Riders can chat with NYC Transit via WhatsApp for 24/7 customer assistance. With the help of Google Translate, NYC Transit staff offer real-time customer support in up to 108 languages.
511 – For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. 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.