NYC will be on heightened alert on New Year’s Eve 2025

Take public transportation, officials warn

December 30, 2024 Mary Frost

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch brief reporters on New Year's Eve safety in Times Square on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. Photo by Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

‘No specific threats’ but heightened threat environment

While there are no credible threats at this time, the city has been operating in a heightened threat environment since the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in Israel, Tisch said.

Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner, NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Department, also flagged the “terrible incident in Germany involving Christmas markets,” calling holiday markets and New Year’s Eve crowds persistent high-risk targets.

“All of the resources that you heard the mayor and the police commissioner outline are here to avoid that type of a scenario,” Weiner said. “And obviously, a vehicle-ramming incident is why we have the sand trucks, the blocker cars and all of the other resources that we’ll have.”

Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch were joined in Times Square on Monday by top officials, including NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Mark Guerra and others. Photo by Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

State and Federal partners also providing resources

The Joint Operations Center will be fully activated with all city, state and federal partners, Tisch said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed in a release Monday that the state is providing extra layers of security, including the New York National Guard. The 24th Weapons of Mass Destruction — Civil Support Team, based at Fort Hamilton, is on standby for New Year’s Eve, she said. “Soldiers and Airmen are trained to identify chemical, biological and explosive materials, and to assist civilian first responders.”

Security will be augmented at airports, bridges, tunnels and mass transit systems as a precautionary measure, and the MTA has increased patrols and surveillance to provide heightened protection at major rail hubs across the state, she added.

Hochul asked residents to report any suspicious activity to the New York State Terrorism Tips Line at 1-866-SAFENYS (1-866-723-3697) or online.

Take public transit

Driving into Manhattan on Tuesday will be a nightmare, officials warned. Staggered street closures will begin at 4 a.m. Tuesday; then, more rounds will continue at 7 a.m. and again at 11 a.m.

“So if you plan on traveling into Manhattan tomorrow, public transportation is certainly your best option,” Tisch said. Trains will only be bypassing two stops. The N, Q and R trains will skip 49th Street in both directions, and the uptown 1 train will skip 50th Street. All other stations will be open and operational.