HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I would like to take this moment & wish each & every person a Happy Thanksgiving! May you all have a great holiday filled with great food & even greater memories!

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Metro North To Adjust Schedules

The MTA Metro-North Railroad has announced it will be making schedule adjustments to support state of good repair projects. Here is more via the press release the agency asked me to share:

MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced upcoming schedule adjustments on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines to support state of good repair work. The new schedule will go into effect on Sunday, March 26, and be in effect through Saturday, June 10. The minor adjustments on the schedule will support ongoing infrastructure improvements happening on all three of the railroad’s East of Hudson lines.

“Metro-North made some strategic adjustments to minimize impact to most customers, while also allowing us to complete vital state of good repair work,” said Metro-North Railroad President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “The fun part of the schedule update is the return of the Yankee Clipper service. Baseball season is always an enjoyable time for the region as it means warmer weather is right around the corner, and with direct service options, Metro-North remains an attractive option for Yankees fans to get to the game.”

Weekday service on all three lines and weekend service on the Harlem and New Haven Lines will see minor changes for some trains at select stations. Weekend service on the Hudson Line has significant adjustments. Customers are encouraged to check TrainTime or new.mta.info to see if their normal train time has been adjusted. Here is what is going on along each line, and schedule adjustments being made to accommodate the work.

Hudson Line

Weekday service on the Hudson Line will see only minor adjustments.

Metro-North is replacing track switches near Morris Heights and Marble Hill, in the most capacity-constrained segments of the Bronx.  This significant infrastructure work requires that weekend Hudson Line service be temporarily reduced to one local train and one express train hourly in each direction. Weekend schedules also accommodate projects including the Park Avenue Viaduct Replacement Project work happening near the Harlem River Lift Bridge, the Hudson Express Cable Project between Cortlandt and Manitou, and additional signal work and other state of good repair work occurring along the line.

Harlem Line

There will be minor adjustments to train times during the evening rush hour to select Upper Harlem trains to minimize station congestion at Southeast. There is an ongoing platform-renewal project at North White Plains and grade-crossing replacement work occurring further north near the Valhalla station.

New Haven Line

There are ongoing infrastructure improvements along the New Haven Line, both in New York and Connecticut. On the New York side of the line, Metro-North crews are working on the replacement of overhead bridges in Mt. Vernon, an electrical substation replacement in Pelham, and switch work in New Rochelle.

In partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, there is elevator and escalator replacement work at Stamford station that requires one platform to be taken out of service. To accommodate this project and minimize crowding and train congestion, four Grand Central-bound morning rush hour trains will continue to bypass Stamford. Going towards New Haven, nine trains in the morning and evening rush hour will continue to bypass the station.

Other infrastructure improvement work happening in Connecticut includes rail replacement between Stamford and South Norwalk, catenary work associated with the Walk Bridge Replacement Project, and the continuation of Metro-North’s SmartTrack state of good repair work between Milford and New Haven.

Return of Metro-North’s Yankee Clippers

Metro-North’s schedule update also includes the return of game-day service to Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees open their season at home against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, March 30, at 1:05 p.m. For Opening Day, Metro-North will operate shuttle trains between Grand Central Terminal (GCT), Harlem/125th Street station and Yankees/E 153rd Street stations and will also make a stop at the stadium on several additional Hudson Line trains.  Riders from the Harlem and New Haven lines may connect at Harlem/125th Street station for the short ride to the stadium.

For evening games on weekdays and all games on weekends, Yankee Clippers are special game-day trains which provide a direct one-seat ride from the railroad’s East of Hudson lines to Yankees-E 153rd St station.  

In addition to the Yankee Clipper trains, for every game Metro-North will operate shuttle trains between GCT, Harlem/125th St and Yankees/E 153rd St stations for fans coming from Manhattan or who are transferring at Harlem/125th station from Harlem and New Haven Line trains, and several regularly scheduled Hudson Line trains will make an extra stop at the stadium.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Merry Christmas 2022!!!

I would like to take this moment & wish each & every single reader & supporter of Transit Blogger a MERRY CHRISTMAS! May you enjoy the holiday season with your friends & family while making new memories that will last a lifetime!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I would like to take this moment & wish each & every person a Happy Thanksgiving! May you all have a great holiday filled with great food & even greater memories!

You might enjoy reading these related entries:

MTA Thanksgiving 2022 Service Info

The 2022 Thanksgiving holiday is upon us & the MTA is the best way to get around the region. Here is the service plan information for all the agencies that they asked me to share with my readers:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is prepared to get millions of holiday travelers to their destinations during the 2022 Thanksgiving weekend. Trains and buses across the MTA system will operate on special schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27, with special expanded railroad service on Wednesday afternoon, to accommodate the unique travel demands of Thanksgiving weekend.

Customers are encouraged to utilize the multiple fare promotions the MTA offers across Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North Railroad, and New York City Transit (NYCT). Fare discounts include the 20-trip ticket which offers a 20% discount off comparable peak one-way fares, special fare discounts for families traveling with children, and the “Lucky 13” program on subways and buses.

LIRR and Metro-North recommend customers use the MTA TrainTime app, to buy one-way, round-trip, 10-trip, 20-trip, weekly and monthly passes, as well as reduced fare tickets, child and family fare tickets and military tickets, on smartphones or mobile devices. With the MTA TrainTime, customers can also find train schedules, view seat availability, track trains in real time, and more.

Travelers heading to and from LaGuardia Airport should utilize the free LaGuardia Link Q70 Select Bus Service (SBS). The LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS connects the subway7, E, F, M & R lines and LIRR to LaGuardia Terminals B and C providing a streamlined ride with customer amenities designed for travelers. Stops for LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS are distinctly marked outside LIRR’s Woodside Station/61 St-Woodside 7 subway station, and at the bus bays the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av /74 St-Broadway E, F, M & R subway station complex.

Customers boarding at LaGuardia Terminals B, and C can spot the LaGuardia Link buses via their distinctive light blue exterior design. Customers are urged to allow extra time due to increased holiday traffic.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels will suspend daytime lane closures related to routine maintenance and construction work beginning 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28 to accommodate motorists throughout the busy travel weekend. Any critical work that must be accomplished over the holiday weekend would occur only during overnight hours as traffic conditions permit.

Wednesday, Nov. 23: Expanded Early Afternoon Service on LIRR, Metro-North

• The Long Island Rail Road will operate 12 extra trains departing Penn Station between 12:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The extra service includes four extra trains on the Babylon Branch, three on the Port Jefferson/Huntington Branch, two on the Ronkonkoma Branch, and one each on the Far Rockaway, Montauk and Port Washington Branches. Times are shown in the current timetables and are available by using the MTA TrainTime app and MTA.info trip planning tools.

• Metro-North Railroad will operate a regular weekday service augmented with 10 additional early-getaway trains (3 Hudson Line, 2 Harlem Line and 5 New Haven Line) departing GCT between 1:15 – 3:30 p.m. and one from New Haven at 5:15 pm. Early getaway ferries will operate between Ossining-Haverstraw and Beacon-Newburgh. Times are shown in the current timetables including the Connecting Service timetable, and are available by using the MTA TrainTime app and MTA.info trip planning tools.

• For Metro-North’s West-of-Hudson customers, a Port Jervis Line early getaway train will depart Hoboken at 2:41 p.m., stops at Secaucus Junction, Ramsey/Route 17, Suffern and all stops in New York State to Port Jervis, arriving at 4:56 p.m. The connecting train from New York Penn Station departs at 2:34 p.m.

• Staten Island Railway will operate on a regular weekday schedule.

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24: Take the Subway to Macy’s Parade

• On Thanksgiving Day, New York City subways and buses will operate on a Sunday schedule and the Staten Island Railway will operate on a Saturday schedule.

• Metro-North is operating a special schedule with extra service before and after the parade. The Hudson Rail Link buses at Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale do not operate, nor do the ferries between Ossining-Haverstraw ad Beacon-Newburgh.

• The LIRR and Metro-North’s West of Hudson service will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule with extra service before and after the parade.

• There are many bus routes that either 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.

Getting to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West and ends in front of Macy’s at Herald Square (34th Street).

The closest subway stations to the start of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the 1 & 2 at 72 St, the 1 at 79 Street, the C at 81 St, and the 1 at 59 St-Columbus Circle.

There will be additional service on the S 42 Street Shuttle as well as increased early morning service on the 1 line to accommodate spectators. In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms, some subway entrances at 59 St-Columbus Circle will be closed. Trains will bypass the C 72 St and F 57 St line stations between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. In addition, select exits and entrances will be closed at Penn Station, and other stations along the Sixth Avenue line.

The LIRR schedule is supplemented with 17 extra trains timed perfectly for those attending the Thanksgiving Day Parade or otherwise visiting the city. There will be six extra westbound trains originating on Long Island between 6 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. (two each on the Babylon Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch, and one each on the Montauk Branch and Port Jefferson Branch), and 11 extra eastbound trains departing Penn Station between 11 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. (four each on the Babylon Branch and Ronkonkoma Branch, two on the Port Jefferson/Huntington Branch and one on the Montauk Branch).

Metro-North will provide additional inbound morning service for customers going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There will also be expanded outbound service starting in the late morning and continuing until mid-afternoon for customers traveling to suburban destinations. Finally, there will be expanded evening service for customers returning to New York City.

West of Hudson Service

• The Port Jervis Line operates a weekend schedule with one extra round-trip train to accommodate parade-goers.

• An eastbound train departs Port Jervis at 6:18 a.m., makes all stops to Suffern, then express to Secaucus Junction and Hoboken, arriving at 8:30 a.m.; the connecting train from Secaucus Junction arrives New York Penn Station at 8:39 a.m.

• A westbound train departs Hoboken at 12:20 p.m., stops at Secaucus Junction and then operates express to Suffern and all stops to Port Jervis, arriving at 2:33 p.m. The connecting train from New York Penn Station departs at 12:14 p.m.

• The Pascack Valley Line operates a normal weekend service.

Bus service in Manhattan may experience delays, and will be affected by reroutes, detours, and/or frozen zones, especially those routes operating in Midtown near the parade route such as the M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7, M10, M11, M12, M15, M15 SBS, M20, M31, M34 SBS, M34A SBS, M42, M50, M55, M57, M66, M72, M79 SBS, M101, M102, M103, M104, Q32, BxM1, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BXM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11,, QM2, QM4, QM5, QM6, SIM1C, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM33C, X27, X28.

The 79th Street Transverse Road will be closed from noon Wednesday, Nov. 23, to noon Thursday, Nov. 24, and buses will not be permitted to cross during this time. Details will be provided at new.mta.info under “Service Status.”

Black Friday, Nov. 25

• New York City subways will operate on a regular weekday schedule.

• Most New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company buses will run on reduced weekday schedules. Some limited-stop services will not run. Check for any service changes on bus routes at mta.info under “service status.”

• The LIRR will operate on a regular weekday schedule, with lower, off-peak fares in effect all day.

• Metro-North will operate on an enhanced Saturday schedule with additional inbound service in the morning and outbound service in the afternoon to accommodate the Friday workforce and Black Friday shoppers, with off-peak fares in effect all day. The Hudson Rail Link buses at Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale operate on a special schedule, as do the ferries between Ossining-Haverstaw and Bacon-Newburgh. See schedules on the Metro-North Connecting Services page at mta.info, on posters in the station, and on the ferries and on the buses.

• West of Hudson: The Port Jervis Line will operate an enhanced weekend schedule with three additional trains, and the Pascack Valley Line will operate a normal weekend service.

• The Staten Island Railway will operate on a regular weekday schedule.

Saturday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 27

New York City Transit, the LIRR and Metro-North, including West of Hudson service, will operate on regular weekend schedules.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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