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Sorry, NYC Christmas travelers: The crowds are back. Here's what to know this weekend.
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Dec 22, 2023
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KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Dec 22, 2023
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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is anticipating its busiest holiday travel season ever for its airports, with more than 5 million passengers projected between Thursday, Dec. 21, and Jan. 2. International travel during that time is expected to be “especially robust,” the Port Authority said in a press release.
In all, the Port Authority is expecting roughly 14 million travelers to pass through its airports, bridges and tunnels in that time. Officials urge travelers to allocate additional travel time to accommodate any potential delays.
Here’s what you need to know about travel between Friday and Christmas Day on Monday.
The weather
Frigid temperatures on Friday and earlier Saturday — due to the presence of cooler air from Canada — are expected to rise and warm up by Christmas Eve, according to the National Weather Service.
Light, scattered showers are possible as early as Saturday night into midday Sunday. Snow is also possible on Saturday night in the lower Hudson Valley, parts of northeast New Jersey and areas of Connecticut away from the coastline, though no measurable levels of snow are expected.
There is currently no anticipated risk of roads icing overnight.
“Honestly, it’s fantastic weather to be traveling in,” said Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist with the agency.
High temperatures are expected to be near 50 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, Christmas Day — slightly warmer than the historical average of 42 degrees for the New York region.
Roads
The Port Authority is expecting vehicle traffic passing through its bridges and tunnels to reach pre-pandemic levels, roughly matching the 13-day holiday travel period in 2019. More than 8 million vehicles are expected to drive through.
There will be no lane closures outside of emergency construction between 5 a.m. on Saturday until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Work for the ongoing Sandy Repairs and Resiliency program at the Holland Tunnel will likewise be suspended. Officials strongly encourage drivers to plan for heavy traffic.
There are some planned service changes for buses throughout the city, which commuters can reference ahead of time at mta.info.
Trains
Metro North trains on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines will be physically lengthened on Saturday to accommodate the droves of last-minute holiday shoppers trickling in and out of the city, the MTA announced.
“We will be running longer trains on all three lines, as well as two additional New Haven Line trains into Grand Central in the morning and two additional New Haven-bound trains leaving Grand Central in the evening,” Metro North President Cathy Rinaldi said in a statement.
There will be planned weekend service changes on the subway, which commuters can check on at at mta.info as well. The subway will be operating on a Sunday schedule on Monday, Christmas Day, when the Long Island Rail Road will also be operating on a weekend schedule.
NJ Transit trains will be running on a weekend schedule on Monday. Most of its bus lines will be on a Sunday schedule, as will the Newark Light Rail, River Line and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
PATH trains will be operating on a Saturday schedule on Monday.
There are currently no scheduled changes to Amtrak trains leaving from or arriving at Manhattan’s Penn Station.
Airplanes
Across the city's three major airports — JFK, LaGuardia and Newark — 30 delays had been reported as of 11:30 a.m. on Friday, according to FlightAware’s Misery Map. None had yet been canceled.
“Travelers should expect longer wait times due to higher passenger volume and ongoing construction,” a press release from the Port Authority reads. “All passengers on domestic flights should arrive to the airport at least two hours in advance of their departure time and passengers on international flights should arrive at the airports at least three hours in advance of their departure times.”
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Michelle Bocanegra
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