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The MTA is the Best Way to Beat the Traffic and Celebrate This Holiday Season

MTA
Updated Dec 20, 2022 7:15 p.m.
The information booth in Grand Central Station. A gold clock on the right rises above the booth. The booth has people clustered around it. On the left, a digital screen displays the word "kindness"

Subways and Commuter Rails Providing Additional Service for New Year’s Eve Festivities

Commuter Railroads Providing Extra Service for Holiday Travelers

View Real Time Schedules on MTA.info

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is the best way to beat the traffic and get around this holiday season, as millions are expected to travel over the coming weeks.

Most MTA agencies are operating on typical weekend or holiday schedules for Christmas, including on Monday, Dec. 26, and New Year’s, while running additional trains for customers headed out of the city for the holidays or into New York City for New Year’s Eve festivities.

“Whether you’re heading home for the holidays or experiencing everything the City has to offer, leave the driving to us and count on public transit to get you where you’re going,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “There’s no faster, better, and more environmentally-friendly way to get around this holiday season – taking transit means a holiday season free from sitting in traffic.”

Details for each agency are below:

New York City Subway

Christmas Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 24, subways will run on a Saturday schedule with some exceptions:

 and  trains will run local in both directions between 96 St and 72 St from 10:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23 to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27

Manhattan-Bound  trains will skip 155 St from 11:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23 to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 26.

Christmas Day and Christmas Day Observed

On Sunday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Dec. 26, subways will run on a Sunday schedule.

Tuesday, Dec. 27 – Friday, Dec. 30

Weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.,  trains will run via the  to Chambers St and will not operate via 6th Avenue or Queens Blvd Lines. At other times, service will be normal.

Between 4:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26 and 5:00 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31,  trains will run via the  line between W 4 St and Jackson Hts - Roosevelt Av. Overnight, Manhattan-bound  trains will run express from Forest Hills-71 Av to Jackson Hts - Roosevelt Av.

New Year’s Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 31, subways will run on a Saturday schedule with some exceptions.

Extra subway service will run on the  and 42 St  lines on New Year’s Eve to help customers get to the festivities.

Beginning at 11:45 a.m., northbound  trains will skip 50 St, and  trains will skip 49 St in both directions.

Manhattan-Bound  trains will skip 155 St from 11:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 30 to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.

New Year’s Day & New Year’s Day Observed

On Sunday, Jan. 1 and Monday, Jan. 2, subways will run on a Sunday schedule.

New York City Buses

Christmas Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 24, buses will run on a Saturday schedule.

Christmas Day

On Sunday, Dec. 25, buses will run on a Sunday schedule, and on Monday, Dec. 26, buses will run on a Saturday schedule, with the exception of Staten Island buses, which will run on a Sunday schedule.

Monday, Dec. 26

Buses will run on a Saturday schedule, with the exception of Staten Island buses, which will run on a Sunday schedule.

Tuesday, Dec. 27 – Friday, Dec. 30

Most New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company buses will run on reduced weekday schedules as most schools will be closed. The following bus routes that normally have local and limited-stop services will only operate with local service: M1, M4, Q4, Q5, Q17, Q27, Q36, Q43, Q46, Q83, Q85.

New Year’s Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 31, buses will run on a Saturday schedule.

New Year’s Day

On Sunday, Jan. 1, buses will run on a Sunday schedule.

Monday, Jan. 2

Buses will run on a Saturday schedule, with the exception of Staten Island buses, which will run on a Sunday schedule. 

Access-A-Ride – Paratransit

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Paratransit is operating full service. Please be aware of alternate drop off locations when making reservations to NYC Open Street corridors.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Paratransit is operating full service. Please be aware of alternate drop off locations when making reservations to NYC Open Street corridors. Specifically, the New Year’s Eve closures of the Times Square area.

Long Island Rail Road

Friday, Dec. 23 Christmas Getaway Service

On Friday, Dec. 23, LIRR will operate on a regular weekday schedule, with 13 additional eastbound trains in the afternoon.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, LIRR will operate on a regular weekend schedule.

Christmas Day

On Christmas Day, LIRR will operate on a regular weekend schedule.

New Year’s Holiday Early Getaway Program on Friday, Dec. 30

On Friday, Dec. 30, the LIRR will be on a regular weekday schedule, with the addition of 13 eastbound trains in the afternoon.

New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve, LIRR will be on a weekend/holiday schedule with the addition of extra evening westbound trains. For westbound customers attending events in New York City, LIRR will operate 10 additional evening westbound trains to Penn Station.

New Year’s Day

The LIRR will operate on a regular weekend/holiday schedule on New Year’s Day, Sunday, Jan. 1, with extra trains for those heading home after New Year’s Eve events. Fifteen early morning extra eastbound trains will operate to Long Island from Penn Station.

Metro-North Railroad

Friday, Dec. 23 Christmas Getaway Service

On Friday, Dec. 23, Metro-North will operate on a regular weekday schedule, with 9 additional early getaway trains on East of Hudson lines departing Grand Central Terminal in the afternoon and a West of Hudson afternoon getaway train to Port Jervis. Some late afternoon and early-evening trains will not operate; check schedules for details.

Christmas Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 24, Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule.

Christmas Day

On Sunday, Dec. 25, Metro-North will operate on a Sunday schedule. On Monday, Dec. 26, Metro-North will operate a Saturday schedule with additional service on East and West of Hudson lines.

New Year’s Eve

On Saturday, Dec. 31, Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule. Additional outbound service from Grand Central Terminal will operate after midnight until 5:00 a.m.

On West of Hudson lines, additional service will run after midnight on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.

New Year’s Day

On Sunday, Jan. 1, Metro-North will operate on a Sunday schedule. On Monday, Jan. 2, Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule with additional service on East and West of Hudson lines.

For real-time service updates and information, customers can use the following options:

MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time travel information for all MTA services all in one place.

TrainTime app - The MTA launched a totally revamped TrainTime app as the new one-stop app for commuter rail customers in the region on both Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, showing all train schedules for 30 days in the future.

new.mta.info – The “Service Status” box at new.mta.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each line.

Live Subway Map – The Live Subway Map shows the real-time position of trains, planned service changes at any given time, highlights accessible stations, and much more.

MTA Weekender – Customers can sign up for the “MTA Weekender,” a weekly digest of major weekend service changes throughout the transit system. 

Twitter – Twitter users can follow @MTA, @NYCTSubway, @NYCTBus, @LIRR, and @MetroNorth for service updates and customer service support.

WhatsApp – Customers can chat with NYC Transit via WhatsApp. Riders can receive customer service support in their native language through the help of Google Translate.

For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. Connecticut customers should call 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.