New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Monday, March 17 at 11:00 a.m. For those participating in the parade, and those looking to watch, the MTA is the safest and most reliable way to get customers there. Grand Central Terminal, serving both Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road, leaves customers minutes from the parade. New York City Subway’s Lexington Ave Line covers the full parade route, with stations a short walk to Fifth Ave. See below for more on how to take transit to this year’s NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade:
Long Island and Metro-North Railroads Adding Extra Trains to the Parade
Grand Central Madison leaves LIRR customers closer to the parade than ever, with the East Side LIRR hub just a short walk from the parade’s starting point.
Multiple travel options will be available to get customers to the parade. The LIRR will add two extra westbound trains on the Babylon Branch and two extra trains on the Ronkonkoma Branch, all of which are stopping at Grand Central Madison.
Metro-North will operate extra service to Grand Central Terminal on both the East of Hudson and West of Hudson Lines on St. Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17.
On East of Hudson lines – the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines – Metro-North will have five extra trains available to transport participants to and from the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Manhattan.
On the West of Hudson lines – the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines – Metro-North will operate one extra train on each line to transport parade-goers to Manhattan.
In the afternoon, Metro-North will monitor the return of parade-goers and will operate extra trains as necessary.
Alcohol Ban on Both Railroads
Both Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road will ban alcohol on all trains and at stations from 5:00 a.m. on Monday, March 17 to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18.
Alcohol consumption and open alcoholic containers are always unauthorized throughout the subway system.
“The MTA is honored to help New Yorkers attend this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade as we’ve done for so many years,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Paradegoers can reach the parade on Fifth Avenue from several different subway stations and nearby bus routes. We recommend that customers visit the MTA website or use the MTA app to plan their trips to see this year’s parade!”
“With the start of the parade being only a stone’s throw away from Grand Central Terminal, Metro-North Railroad is an ideal travel option for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration,” said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “Extra trains will be added so customers will have multiple ways to reach the parade and enjoy the day.”
“Thanks to Grand Central Madison, Long Island Rail Road customers have easy access to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” said Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. “We’re also increasing LIRR service to Grand Central Madison on Monday morning to ensure that everyone who wants attend the parade can get there quickly and safely for a great customer experience.”
The Best Way on the Subway
The best way to the parade by subway is the Lexington Avenue , which covers the full parade route, and stations are a short walk to Fifth Ave. If customers wish to take the train to Fifth Ave, however, they can take the subway to the 5 Av-53 St station. Customers can also take the to Lexington Av-59 St, or the to 42 St-Bryant Park or 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center.
Customers should note that the stairs to the 5 Av-59 St station at the southeast corner of Fifth Ave and 60th St. will be closed during the parade. During that same time, certain stairs at the 77 St subway station will be enter only and others will be exit only.
New York City Bus Reroutes
Due to the parade route, some New York City Buses will have their routes impacted.
Customers should expect reroutes on the following bus routes: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M31, M50, M55, M57, M66, M72, M79 SBS, Q32, and most express buses.
Customers can check mta.info throughout the duration of the parade to monitor their route.
About the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been a New York City staple since 1762, and the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The parade route runs along Fifth Avenue, starting at E. 44th Street and ending at E. 79th Street. The popular parade typically draws about 2 million spectators and about 150,000 marchers.
Customers are encouraged to plan ahead and check the MTA app or TrainTime app prior to traveling.