If you ask a boxing aficionado what their plans are for tomorrow, you’ll surely find them busy with the upcoming Times Square Boxing event that everyone in the boxing community has their eyes on. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 2nd, in the heart of New York City. Titled Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, presented by The Ring Magazine in collaboration with Golden Boy Promotions, this outdoor is going to be a grand showdown. Why? Well, there are three high-profile fights, backed by the Saudi Arabian, Turki Alalshikh, and all of them will broadcast exclusively on DAZN at 5:30 pm ET. The main event boasts the return of Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs), a year after he faced a no-contest for the Devin Haney bout due to testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug, ostarine.
He will be fighting Rolando Rolly Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight bout, straight for the Vegas-born boxer in the division. Excitingly, the undefeated Devin Haney (31-0), too, will star in the co-main event, fighting Jose Ramirez (29-2) from the same division. But, it doesn’t end there. The opening bout is going to be Teofimo Lopez (21-1) meeting Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0) in the ring to defend his WBO and The Ring’s light welterweight titles.
And lastly, from the featherweight division, Levale Wittington and Reito Tsutsumi would lock horns in a 6-round bout. But, for those who are all prepared to go and watch the showdown live, how will you get to the venue? Well, here’s everything you need to know about NYC’s public transport on that night.
Will subway & taxis be operational during the Garcia vs. Romero Times Square fight?
For everyone planning to use public transportation (buses, taxis, or the subway) to reach the venue, planning ahead of time will be a good decision. The MTA operates the New York City subway, and it typically runs 24/7, which is a relief.
Especially on weekdays, such as this Friday night event, the operating schedule will remain the same as it is regularly, that is, from 6 am to 2 am for most lines. But, since the event would involve street closures in Times Square, the West 42nd to 49th Streets between Sixth and Eighth Avenues will be affected, similar to how it is seen on New Year’s Eve closures. So, that may be something to look out for.
Nearby stations, such as Times Square-42nd St (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S) or 42nd Street-Bryant Park (B, D, F, M), may or may not have restricted entrances or exits due to crowd control. But then, the MTA might also add some extra trains to handle the crowding, just like New Year’s Eve, when additional LIRR and Metro-North trains are scheduled. Though, for May 2nd, no such announcements have been made public.
Moreover, heavy pedestrian traffic might also cause delays and rerouting for subway lines that serve Midtown Manhattan. For real-time updates, you can check the mta.info website or the MTA or TrainTime app.
As for taxis (yellow cabs, green cabs, Uber/Lyft), they operate 24/7 too in NYC. Surely, they will function, but be prepared for a surge charge because of the event, and key Times Square streets may close (likely Seventh Avenue, Broadway, and cross streets between 42nd and 49th). One can expect being needed to walk several blocks to reach the event area or for connecting to subways.
If you’re using Uber or Lyft, make sure that you’ve booked them in advance, and that the drop-offs/pick-ups are outside the Times Square core. Plan for some buffer 30-60 minutes of extra time in case of traffic delays as well.
How to get taxis, buses & parking around Times Square during the boxing event?
Yellow cabs may be scarce near Times Square during the event, so you can try walking to less congested areas like Sixth Avenue or 50th Street to hail a cab. Also, ask drivers to use routes avoiding Broadway and Seventh Avenue, such as Ninth Avenue or Fifth Avenue. That would be a better way to reach your venue.
For buses, during the rush hours, you can find them at their designated bus stops on 42nd Street and avenues like Broadway, 6th Avenue, 7th Avenue, and 8th Avenue. Note that local and express buses have different stop locations and frequencies.
If you plan to bring your own vehicle to the venue, please note that during rush hour, finding a parking spot may become challenging. But, it is not impossible. Try using online parking reservation services, such as ParkRoll or SpotHero, to pre-book parking spots at nearby garages. Some of the garages, like Icon Parking, Quik Park, and Edison ParkFast, are also more favourable considering the venue’s location and traffic during peak hours.
Overall, it’ll be better to go for public transpotation or arrive early if you’re coming in your own vehicle. But, since it is not a majorly public event, it shouldn’t be hard to make it to the fight place without any trouble. That said, which fight are are waiting to see most?
The post Will NYC Subways and Public Transportation Work During the Times Square Boxing Event? appeared first on EssentiallySports.