Your guide to getting around NYC on the Fourth of July
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If you’re one of the estimated three million people who will be watching the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks spectacular, you’ll need to factor in how MTA’s service changes and planned traffic interruptions might affect your plans. Once you’ve picked a viewing spot, check out our comprehensive guide to getting around town (or out of town, if you prefer) below.
Traffic changes
Bridges and tunnels
The Brooklyn Bridge will be closed from 2 p.m. on July 4 to 1 a.m. on July 5th and the Manhattan Bridge may experience temporary closures throughout the day.
Otherwise, all lane closures related to routine maintenance and temporary construction work will be suspended from 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, through to the end of morning rush hour on Friday, July 5.
The following street closures have been announced for Manhattan and Brooklyn. The closures are at the discretion of NYPD so times may vary, but you can expect them to be in effect from the afternoon through the early hours on Friday.
Manhattan:
- All streets included in the area bounded by Grand Street, Catherine Street/Slip, South Street/FDR Drive, East Broadway
- Allen Street between Division Street and Canal Street
- Battery Place between State Street and West Street
- Beekman Street between Pearl Street and South Street
- Broad Street between Water Street and South Street
- Dover Street between Pearl Street and South Street
- FDR Drive between Brooklyn Battery Underpass and Delancey Street (including exit/entrance ramps)
- Frankfort Street between Gold Street and Pearl Street
- Front Street between Old Slip and Dover Street
- Fulton Street between South Street and Gold Street
- Gold Street between Fulton Street and Frankfort Street
- Gouverneur Lane between Water Street and South Street
- John Street between Water Street and South Street
- Little Water Street between Fulton Street and Beekman Street
- Maiden Lane between Water Street and South Street
- Old Slip between Water Street and South Street
- Pearl Street between Fulton Street and St. James Place
- Peck Slip between Pearl Street and South Street
- Pike Street between Division Street and East Broadway
- Robert F. Wagner Sr. Place between Pearl Street and South Street
- South Street between Whitehall Street and Jackson Street
- St. James Place between Robert F. Wagner Sr. Place and Oliver Street
- State Street between Whitehall Street and Battery Place
- Wall Street between Water Street and South Street
- Water Street between Whitehall Street and Dover Street
- West Street between Battery Place and West Thames Street
- Whitehall Street between Water Street and South Street
Brooklyn:
- Adams Street between Tillary and Joralemon Streets
- Adams Street between York Street and John Street
- Atlantic Avenue between Furman Street and Flatbush Avenue
- Beard Street between Conover and Van Brunt Streets
- Coffey Street between Van Brunt Street and Dead End
- Columbia Street between Atlantic Avenue and Degraw Street
- Conover Street between Pioneer Street and Dead End
- Degraw Street between Columbia and Van Brunt Streets
- Dikeman Street between Van Brunt Street and Dead End
- Ferries Street between King and Van Dyke Streets
- Flatbush Avenue/Flatbush Avenue Extension between Tillary Street and Atlantic Avenue
- Front Street between Jay Street and Old Fulton Street
- Furman Street between Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue
- Henry Street between Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue
- Hicks Street between Brooklyn Queens Expressway and Old Fulton Street
- Imlay Street between Summit and Pioneer Street
- Jay Street between York Street and Dead End
- John Street between Jay Street and Adams Street
- Joralemon Street between Furman Street and Adams Street
- King Street between Conover and Ferries Streets
- Main Street between Front Street and Plymouth Street
- Montague Street between Court Street to Montague Terrace
- Old Fulton Street between Cadman Plaza West and Furman Street
- Old Fulton Street between Hicks and Furman Streets
- Old Fulton Street/Cadman Plaza West/Court Street between Henry and Joralemon Streets
- Pearl Street between York Street and John Street
- Pioneer Street between Van Brunt and Conover Streets
- Plymouth Street between Adams Street and Main Street
- Reed Street between Conover and Van Brunt Streets
- Remsen Street between Court Street and Montague Terrace
- Sullivan Street between Van Brunt Street and Dead End
- Summit Street between Van Brunt and Imlay Streets
- Tillary Street between Prince Street and Cadman Plaza West
- Van Brunt Street between Degraw Street and Dead End
- Van Dyke Street between Van Brunt Street and Dead End
- Washington Street between York Street and Dead End
- Wolcott Street between Van Brunt Street and Dead End
- Water Street between Adams Street and Old Fulton Street
- York Street between Jay Street and Front Street
To make way for the Travis 4th of July Parade on Staten Island from noon to 3 p.m., all access roads into Travis will close at 11:30 a.m.
NYC Subway, Bus, and Rail Service
Wednesday, July 3
The Metro-North will provide 13 extra trains between 1 p.m. and 4:11 p.m.
There will be extra Long Island Rail Road trains departing Penn Station from 2:08 p.m., including three extra trains on the Babylon Branch, one extra train on the Far Rockaway Branch, three on the Port Jefferson Branch, and one extra on the Port Washington Branch.
Staten Island Railway customers can also look forward to extra trains beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal.
Thursday, July 4
New York City Subway
Subways will operate on a Saturday schedule with the following service changes planned through early Friday morning, July 5:
There will be increased subway service on the 4, 5, A, C, F and the 42nd Street Shuttle prior to and following the Macy’s fireworks celebration, from roughly 9:25 p.m. to 9:50 p.m.
2 and 3 trains will skip Wall Street and Clark Street in both directions between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
5 service will run between Bowling Green and Eastchester-Dyre Avenue, and 5 and D trains will run local in the Bronx.
There won’t be any 6 and 7 express service, take the local instead.
G trains will run every 8 minutes.
The L work is back on: L trains will run every 4 to 6 minutes between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. and every 20 minutes after 10 p.m. between Lorimer Street and 8 Avenue.
M trains will run between Metropolitan Avenue and Delancey Street-Essex Street between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., and between Metropolitan Avenue and the 96 Street Q station from 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, to 1:30 a.m. Friday, July 5.
New York City Buses
Buses will be following a Saturday schedule and this is the list of bus routes that may be affected by street closures or detours: M9; M14A/D SBS; M15; M15 SBS; M20 SBS; M21; M22; M55; M103; B25; B61; B62; B63; B67; B69; BM1; BM2; BM3 and BM4.
Rail Services
Metro-North trains will be operating on a Sunday schedule, LIRR trains will be on a normal weekend schedule, and the SIR will be running on a Saturday schedule.
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