You've probably seen the maps. They look simple enough. A blue line winding through the five boroughs, some little icons for water stations, and maybe a few "Road Closed" signs. But if you’ve lived in New York for more than five minutes, you know that the NYC marathon 2024 road closures are anything but simple.
Honestly, it’s a logistical beast.
More than 50,000 runners. Over a million spectators. And a city that basically gets sliced in half for a day. If you think you can just "find a way around" 4th Avenue in Brooklyn or "hop across" the Pulaski Bridge, you’re in for a very long, very frustrating afternoon. People get stuck in their own neighborhoods every single year because they assume the "rolling closures" actually roll fast. They don't.
The Verrazzano Lockdown: More Than Just a Bridge
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the starting gun for the traffic chaos. It doesn't just close on Sunday morning. The upper level shuts down at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 2nd. That catches a lot of late-night drivers off guard.
By 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd, the entire bridge is a ghost town for cars. Both levels. Both directions. If you’re trying to get from Staten Island to Brooklyn (or vice versa) after that, you’re basically looking at the Goethals or the Outerbridge and a massive detour.
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The bridge doesn't even think about reopening until around 4:00 p.m. even though the elite runners are long gone by then.
Why Staten Island Feels Like an Island (Again)
Staten Island has it rough during the marathon. It's not just the bridge. The exits for Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue close at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday.
If you live in Rosebank or Fort Wadsworth, you’re kind of trapped.
School Road? Closed.
Father Capodanno Boulevard? Closed.
Everything around the staging area at Fort Wadsworth becomes a high-security zone. It's great for the runners getting ready to tackle 26.2 miles, but it’s a nightmare for anyone just trying to grab a bagel on a Sunday morning.
Brooklyn and the Long Stretch of 4th Avenue
Once the runners descend from the Verrazzano, they hit Brooklyn. This is where the NYC marathon 2024 road closures really start to bite into the city’s grid.
The route basically follows 4th Avenue from 92nd Street all the way up to Flatbush. That is a massive north-south artery that just vanishes for the day. You can't cross it. You can't drive on it.
The "official" reopening time for the Brooklyn section is usually around 6:30 p.m. but that’s a best-case scenario.
The Williamsburg and Greenpoint Squeeze
After 4th Avenue, the race winds through Lafayette Avenue and Bedford Avenue.
Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg is iconic for the crowds, but it’s a disaster for traffic. You’ve got closures from Lafayette all the way to Nassau Avenue.
Then there’s the Pulaski Bridge.
It closes at 7:00 a.m. and doesn't reopen until at least 6:30 p.m. This is the only way for pedestrians and runners to get into Queens from Greenpoint, which means if you’re a driver, you’re looking at the BQE or nothing.
Queens and the Queensboro Bridge Nightmare
Queens actually has the shortest leg of the race, but it’s home to one of the biggest bottlenecks: the Queensboro Bridge.
Technically, it’s the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, but nobody calls it that.
The lower level (both directions) closes at 7:00 a.m. and stays closed until 3:30 p.m. The upper level stays open for cars, but it’s restricted. No trucks. No over-dimensional vehicles.
Basically, if you have to cross the East River on Marathon Sunday, don't. Use the Midtown Tunnel, but expect to pay the toll and wait in a line that stretches back to last Tuesday.
Manhattan: The Final Gauntlet
Manhattan gets hit twice. First, when the runners come off the bridge at 59th Street and head up 1st Avenue. Then, when they come back down 5th Avenue into Central Park.
1st Avenue is a wall of people from 59th Street all the way to the Willis Avenue Bridge.
It’s closed from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Yes, you read that right. 10:30 at night.
The Central Park Traverses
This is the part that kills people’s plans.
The 65th, 79th, and 96th Street Transverses are the only ways to get across Central Park.
During the marathon, the 65th and 79th Street Transverses close at midnight on Sunday and don't open until 9:30 p.m.
The 96th Street Transverse usually stays open longer but closes around 9:00 a.m.
If you’re on the Upper West Side and need to get to the Upper East Side, you’re going around the park. Which means you’re hitting the marathon route somewhere else. It’s a loop you can’t win.
The Bronx: The Short But Impactful Turn
The runners only spend about two miles in the Bronx, crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge and leaving via the Madison Avenue Bridge.
But those two bridges are vital.
Willis Avenue Bridge closes at 7:30 a.m. Madison Avenue Bridge closes at 7:30 a.m. Both stay closed until roughly 6:30 p.m. The area around East 135th Street and Alexander Avenue becomes a bottleneck. It’s a short section of the race, but it completely cuts off access to the South Bronx from Manhattan for most of the daylight hours.
Transit Changes You Actually Need to Know
The MTA tries its best. It really does. But with the NYC marathon 2024 road closures, the bus system basically collapses.
Buses won't cross 5th Avenue.
Buses won't cross 1st Avenue.
Dozens of routes are "detoured," which is MTA-speak for "this bus is never coming."
Subway Hacks
The subway is your only real hope.
The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A, C, and D lines all have stops near the course.
But be warned: the MTA often designates certain stairways as "exit only" or "entrance only" at high-traffic stations like Queensboro Plaza or 72nd Street to prevent a stampede.
Also, watch out for "planned work."
In 2024, the MTA had 2-trains running express in Manhattan and 4-trains skipping certain stops in the Bronx. Always check the MTA app before you leave the house, or you’ll end up in Brooklyn when you wanted to be in Harlem.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think the roads open as soon as the "fast" runners pass.
They don't.
The NYC Marathon has a "sweep bus" that follows the 16-minute-per-mile pace. The roads stay closed until that bus passes and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) literally sweeps the street. We’re talking about thousands of discarded water cups, gel packets, and "disposable" heat blankets.
The city isn't going to let you drive over a sea of Gatorade.
Actionable Advice for Marathon Sunday
If you have to move around the city on November 3rd, follow these rules:
- Leave the car at home. There is no "secret route." You will get stuck.
- Cross the park via the subway. Take the Q or the 6 or the B/C. Do not try to take a cab across the 96th Street Transverse after 10:00 a.m.
- Use the Midtown Tunnel or the Triborough (RFK) Bridge. These are your only real options for crossing the rivers if you’re driving.
- Check the 16-minute-per-mile pace. If you live near Mile 20, the roads aren't opening until the evening. Plan your grocery runs or dog walks accordingly.
- Download the "TCS NYC Marathon" App. Not just to track runners, but to see the live course map. It’s often more accurate than Google Maps for real-time closures.
The marathon is an incredible event—one of the best days to be a New Yorker. But it's only fun if you're not the person trapped in a car at an intersection for three hours. Plan ahead, take the train, and maybe just walk. It’s a walking day, after all.