The clock is ticking down toward 2014 and the city says it’s ready for the big New Year’s party in Times Square.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is promising that the last New Year’s Eve celebration under his watch will be incident free, just like in the past.
Tonight’s event means there will be street closures throughout Midtown, so police are urging anyone coming into the area to use mass transit.
Starting at 1:30 p.m., the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic: Seventh Avenue from 41st to 59th Streets; Broadway from 47th to 59th Streets; and 43rd to 47th Streets, from Sixth to Eighth Avenues.
NY1′s Dean Meminger will host Countdown to 2014, featuring live coverage of the big party from Times Square.
NY1 will be talking to revelers leading up to midnight, then after the ball drops the station will stop the commentary so viewers at home can just enjoy the sights and sounds of the celebration.
The hour and a half-long special begins tonight at 11 p.m.
At 5 p.m., 42nd Street will be closed to traffic from Sixth to Eighth Avenue.
At 6:30 p.m., some other streets are subject to closure. They include all cross-town streets from 37th to 41st Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenues; all cross-town streets from 49th to 59th Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenues, and 48th Street, from Fifth to Ninth Avenues.
Times Square will be closed off to vehicular traffic at 3 p.m., and attendees will be directed to gather in separate viewing sections.
As for the subways, N, R, and W trains will bypass the 49th Street station in both directions, and northbound 1 trains will bypass the 50th Street station from 7 tonight through about 12:15 tomorrow morning.
As a reminder, no backpacks, large bags or alcohol will be allowed into Times Square.
Personal property cannot be left at checkpoints.
Also, anyone who leaves before the ball drops will not be able to return to their original viewing spot.
Meanwhile, organizers of tonight’s Times Square celebration say New Yorkers should not dismiss the party as something that is only for tourists.
“It’s an amazing experience. Even the most jaded New Yorker, when you’re out here and that confetti falls and there’s wishes written on the confetti for a better life for ourselves or for the world. Even the most bitter and cold, literally cold heart will melt a little bit when you’re up there on the stage on New Year’s Eve watching it all,” said Tim Tompkins of the Times Square Alliance.
The New Year’s Eve ball was tested Monday in Times Square.
It’s lit by 3,200 LED lights that can change to virtually any color.
It’s also covered with 2,600 Waterford Crystal Panels with the special theme, “The Gift of Imagination.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be skipping tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square — the first time he will miss it since becoming mayor in 2002.
Supreme Court Justice and Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor has been tapped to push the button to lower the New Year’s Eve ball.
Holiday Closures
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