Photo by Steven Pisano via Flickr
If you plan to drive, take a cab or catch a crosstown bus on the Upper East Side this Sunday, Nov. 1, expect detours. The TCS New York City Marathon comes through the neighborhood, and First Avenue is closed for the whole day.
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Under the city’s Mayor’s Office closure list, First Avenue shuts from East 59th Street all the way up to the Willis Avenue Bridge from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. That’s where runners come off the Queensboro Bridge and head north toward the Bronx, so the avenue stays closed well after the last runners go by.On the way back south, runners come down Fifth Avenue, which closes between East 120th and East 90th Streets from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. East 90th Street, from Fifth Avenue into the park’s East Drive, is closed from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. That’s where the course turns into Central Park.
There are also closures at the southern edge of the neighborhood. East 59th Street is closed between the Queensboro Bridge and First Avenue from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The bridge’s lower level is shut in both directions from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the upper level is closed to trucks during the same hours.
FDR Drive drivers should plan around intermittent exit closures between 8:45 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Those include the 63rd Street and 96th Street exits in both directions and the southbound exits at 71st and 79th Streets.
In Central Park, the 79th Street Transverse is closed from midnight to 9:30 p.m. The 96th Street Transverse closes from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. All three park drives are closed starting Saturday and through Sunday.
Crosstown bus riders should expect the biggest disruption. Buses won’t be allowed to cross Fifth Avenue during the race, ABC7 reported, citing the MTA. Some subway stairways may also be entrance-only or exit-only to control crowds.
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The day starts in Staten Island. Professional wheelchair racers go first at 8 a.m., followed by the elite women at 8:40 a.m. and the elite men at 9:05 a.m. The five amateur waves follow, with the last starting at 11:30 a.m. That means a steady stream of runners on First Avenue from late morning until late afternoon.For neighbors who want to watch, both First and Fifth Avenues are good places to cheer for free. Seats in the finish-line grandstand in Central Park cost $61.48. If you’d rather stay inside, ABC7 is airing the race locally from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Officials note that closure times may shift on race day at the NYPD’s discretion, so leave extra time for any Sunday plans.
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