116th St Festival & P.R. Day Parade Info
It is that time of year where Puerto Rican pride is celebrated all over the city. The annual 116th Street Abrazo Fraternal Festival & National Puerto Rican Day Parade are taking place this weekend & MTA NYC Transit has released a service alert for them:
The weekend-long celebration of Puerto Rican heritage begins on Saturday, June 9 with the 116th Street Abrazo Fraternal Festival which will be held from noon to 7 p.m. along 116th Street between Lexington and 2nd Avenues and on 3rd Avenue between 106th and 122nd Streets. The 116th Street Festival is a very popular attraction with up to 50,000 people in attendance at any one time. Overall attendance for the day could reach upwards of 100,000.
On Saturday, the 116th Street 6 station will be “exit only” from noon to 5 p.m. Customers wishing to enter at 116th Street will be redirected to nearby stations on Lexington Avenue at 110th and 125th Streets. The following MTA New York City Transit and MTA Buses that serve the area will be affected: M101, M102, M103, M116, BxM1, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10 and BxM11.
This year’s National Puerto Rican Day Parade will be held on Sunday, June 10 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The parade route runs up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 79th Street. In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms, the 77th Street 6 station will be “exit only” from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Customers seeking up or downtown service from this station will be directed to 68th Street or 86th Street stations. Parade-goers may use Fifth Avenue stations on the EFNR and 7 lines. Additionally, NYC Transit will increase subway service on the 2456 and S (42nd Street shuttle) trains to accommodate spectators.
The following NYC Transit bus routes will be the most affected: M2, M3, M4, M5, M72, M66 and Q32. Transit and MTA Buses that will also be affected: M31, M50, M57, M79, BxM1, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, QM2, QM4, QM5, QM6, X1, and X10.
Please note that alcohol will not be allowed on MTA Long Island Rail Road trains, stations and platforms on Saturday, June 9th and Sunday, June 10th. The MTA Police will enforce this restriction.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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In addition to the usual problems with this parade on the East Side, the 96th St subway station remains a mess for downtown trains, with a lingering flooding problem (after minor rains) that the MTA just won’t fix. What does the station manager have to say about it?