NYC New Year's Eve Guide: Security Details, Traffic Warnings, Directions to Times Square

NEW YORK, NY — As many as 2 million people are expected to converge on Times Square to celebrate New Year's Eve, city government and law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Whether you are coming into New York City to celebrate the end of 2016 — which really can't come soon enough — or you want to avoid the logjam that will be Midtown Manhattan, Patch has you covered.

Here's a handy guide covering everything you need to know about New York City's official New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square./

How to get to Times Square:

Leave the car keys at home because you can forget about driving to Times Square on New Year's Eve. With road closures, beefed up security and nowhere to park the best way to get to Times Square will be by public transportation — specifically the subway.

Because Times Square is such a popular destination it's very easy to get to no matter where you're coming from. The A, C, E, N, Q, R, W, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 42nd Street Shuttle lines all stop in Times Square. Additionally one could take the 4, 5, 6 or 7 train to Grand Central and transfer to the 42nd Street Shuttle.

How to get to Times Square from New Jersey:

• If you're taking New Jersey Transit to Penn Station catch the 2 or 3 train to Times Square 42nd Street.
• If you're taking New Jersey Transit t0 the Port Authority Bus Terminal you can walk from the bus station to Times Square.
• If you're taking the PATH to World Trade Center transfer to the A, C, E, 2 or 3 lines on the subway.
• If you're taking the PATH to 33rd Street transfer to the N, Q, R or W lines on the subway.

How to get to Times Square from Long Island:

• If you're taking the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station transfer to the A, C, E, 1, 2 or 3 lines on the subway.

Security measures:

There are no known direct threats to Times Square or New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City this year, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said Thursday. But that isn't stopping the NYPD from beefing up security for the event, featuring the use of sanitation vehicles for the first time.

There will be nearly 7,000 uniformed officers deployed — including heavily-armed critical response units — to keep New Yorkers and tourists safe on New Year's, NYPD Chief of Department Carlos Gomez said Thursday. In addition, 65 sanitation vehicles and hundreds of smaller blocker vehicles will be used to set up multiple layers of security surrounding the celebration.

The use of sanitation vehicles will be a first for the NYPD on New Year's Eve, officials said. The NYPD decided to use the blocker vehicles after studying world events, such as the attacks on Nice, France and Berlin where terrorists used large vehicles as weapons, Gomez said Thursday.

With the highly visible security in place, and unseen security measures, Times Square should be one of the safest venues in the world on New Year's Eve, O'Neill said Thursday.

When you should get to Times Square:

NYPD officials said Thursday that people coming to celebrate New Year's Eve may start to assemble in Times Square as early as 8 a.m. Saturday. At 11 a.m. police officers will start to direct people already gathered in Times Square to fenced-off viewing sections, police told Patch. The viewing sections stretch from Times Square to 59th Street and will hold around 3,000 people, police said.

What to bring with you — and what not to bring:

If you're going to get to Times Square early on Saturday be warned, you will be on your feet outside for a long time. In that case you should be wearing comfortable footwear and should bring warm clothing if it gets cold.

These items are not allowed inside Times Square on Saturday:

• Umbrellas;
• Backpacks and large bags;
• Alcoholic beverages.

If you bring anything that's not allowed police will not let you leave it at a security checkpoint.

Weather:

The weather on New Year's Eve will cooperate, for the most part. There's a five hour window — from 10 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday — with a slight chance of rain.

Check out the hourly weather forecast for New York City on New Year's Eve here.

Safety tips:

With the highly-visible NYPD presence at Times Square the only threat to New Year's Eve revelers physical safety may be themselves.

"Every year on New Year’s Day, the number of alcohol-related emergency department visits in New York City more than doubles," said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. "We want New Yorkers to ring in 2017 with friends and family, not in the emergency room. Be sure to drink in moderation and space out your drinks during your New Year’s celebration."

Here are some alcohol-related safety tips from the Health Department:

• If your New Year’s celebration includes alcohol, be conscious of how much you drink. It’s better to have one less drink than one too many;
• Eat dinner before the celebration starts, and enjoy snacks throughout the evening;
• Pace yourself, and also drink non-alcoholic beverages, such as water;
• Avoid caffeine and energy drinks; these can mask the effects of alcohol and cause you to drink too much.

Street closures — information provided by NYPD:

At approximately 4 a.m. on Saturday, the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic:

• Seventh Avenue, from 43rd to 48th streets;
• Broadway, from 47th to 48th streets;
• 46th and 47th streets, from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday the following streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic:

• Seventh Avenue, from 41st to 59th streets;
• Broadway, from 47th to 59th streets;
• 43rd to 47th streets, from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday 42nd Street from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue will be closed to traffic.
After 6:30 p.m. on Saturday the remainder of the traffic closures will be instituted as crowd conditions warrant:

• All cross-town streets from 37th to 41st Streets - 6th to 8th avenues;
• All cross-town streets from 49th to 59th Streets - 6th to 8th avenues;
• 48th Street, from 5th to 9th avenues;
• Cross-town access for emergency vehicles will be available on 42nd, 48th, and 59th streets.

Photo by Anthony Quintano via Flickr/Creative Commons