travel update
New York concert travelers face marathon and Halloween transit changes Nov. 1
Madison Square Garden
Travelers headed to New York City venues on Sunday, Nov. 1, should build extra time into trips: the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon will bring a major bridge closure, bus detours and subway access changes, while Halloween-related subway restrictions remain in effect through the weekend.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will close to all non-emergency vehicular traffic from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Its upper level will close in both directions beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, for roadway preparation. Drivers traveling between Brooklyn and Staten Island must use alternate routes during the closure.
The MTA’s weekend advisory also warns of marathon-related subway and bus changes. Some stairways at 59 St-Columbus Circle, 66 St-Lincoln Center, 72 St. and 81 St.-Museum of Natural History may be closed Sunday, and many bus routes along the marathon course will be detoured. The agency directs riders to check Planned Service Changes before traveling.
Halloween crowd controls add another set of restrictions on Saturday. The MTA says some stairways at 14 St/6 Av, West 4 St-Wash Sq. and Spring St. may be exit- or entrance-only or intermittently closed. Downtown trains will not stop at Spring St. from 5 to 10 p.m.
That matters for concertgoers using public transit to reach Manhattan rooms including Madison Square Garden, Beacon Theatre, Sony Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Irving Plaza, The Town Hall, Webster Hall, Brooklyn Steel and nearby venues. The supplied advisories do not announce any venue schedule or admission-policy changes, so travelers should confirm event details directly with their ticket and venue sources rather than assume a show is affected.
The MTA separately reported strong fall ridership, including 40 additional Metro-North trains and increased demand tied to foliage travel. That is a reason to check live rail and subway information before leaving, but it does not establish a fare increase or a specific concert-day capacity limit. Also remember that daylight saving time ends Sunday morning and set clocks back one hour.
Source check: Reporting from Jambands; primary source: mta.info.
Sources and reporting
Confirm time-sensitive travel, ticket, and venue details with the linked official source before you go.