If you're one of the million or so revelers on tap to invade Manhattan on New Year's Eve, city officials urge you to take mass transit. But if you're a stickler for your car, there are a plethora of street closures and traffic changes you should know about.
Warning: You WILL be ticketed and towed if you fail to comply with the regulations.
Here's a list of the no-parking streets for Friday.
- No parking on all crosstown streets from 33rd to 59th, between 6th and 8th Avenues
- On 34th, 42nd and 48th from 5th to 9th Avenues
- On 37th, 43rd, 53rd and 59th between 5th and 8th Avenues (Columbus Circle for 59th Street)
- 5th Avenue from 37th to 52nd
- Sixth Avenue from 34th to 59th
- East Side of 8th Avenue from 34th to 57th
If you are planning to come to Times Square and join in the festivities, you are advised to enter from 6th or 8th Avenue. Your chance of getting a viewing spot near the Ball (at Broadway & 43rd Street) goes up the earlier you show up. The blocks will be closed off as they fill up northward, street-by-street, as the police deem necessary.
Some subway stations will shut down early in the evening and reopen after midnight so the massive crowds can leave. Other stations will skip the stops closest to Times Square until after the ball drops.
Subway changes include:
- Southbound and northbound N/R/W lines will skip 49th Street starting at 7 p.m. and reopening at about 12:15 a.m.
- Northbound 1 trains will skip 50th street starting at 7 p.m. and also reopen at about 12:15 a.m. New Year's Day
It'll be a relatively warm evening for this time of year, and the 20-inch snowstorm that left the streets far from Times Square unplowed will be a memory to the crowd. Crews have removed the large drifts and warm temperatures are helping to melt what's left. So enjoy the party! Be safe.
