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Read the press release here.

Thanksgiving Travel Delays Pile Up Like Leftovers

By Serena Solomon | November 23, 2011 12:08pm | Updated on November 23, 2011 8:19pm
Michael Marks said his English bull dog, Elvis, loves train rides.
Michael Marks said his English bull dog, Elvis, loves train rides.
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DNAinfo/Serena Solomon

By Serena Solomon and Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporters/Producers

MIDTOWN — Thanksgiving travel delays started out light Wednesday as New Yorkers hit the road for the holiday — but started to pick up as the day wore on.

Gloomy weather led to arrival delays of over an hour into LaGuardia Airport after 5 p.m. and Newark was seeing delays of nearly 40 minutes, according to the FAA.

Motorists heading over the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island were told to expect heavy volume from people trying to get out of the city.

And those taking the George Washington Bridge and Holland Tunnel saw half-hour delays at one point.

While most trains were running on time, the crowds at Penn Station swelled in the afternoon with those looking to take Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey transit trains to see their loved ones.

The 85th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade will include several new balloons, including the Sega video game star Sonic the Hedgehog.
The 85th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade will include several new balloons, including the Sega video game star Sonic the Hedgehog.
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Macy's

Brandon Simon, 22, of Murray Hill, missed his Amtrak train to Baltimore and then had to wait and hour-and-a-half for the next one.

"It's like they are evacuating the city," he said. "It's like a hurricane without the crisis."

Agaton Strom, 32, a photographer from Brooklyn, couldn't leave town for Boston early because he was working late.

"It's a nightmare," he said. "All the people leaving at the same time. You can never expect to be on time."

But he has a solution for staying calm amid the travel storm.

"I just look down and keep to myself," he said. "I've got book. I've got work."

The line for the ticket machine for New Jersey Transit snaked around the waiting area during the evening rush.

Amanda Bullard, 32, a speech pathologist from the Village, stood at the end of the long line for tickets.

"They told me it was going to be 20 minutes just to get the ticket," she said, adding that she was allowing herself three to four hours to get to her flight to Houston, where she was going to visit her family.

For Chris Bach, travel only ran smootly once he arrived at Grand Central.

"We just missed our train. It was a really long cab ride," said the 32-year-old East Village resident who had a suitcase, two bags and his dog, Boo, a wire fox terrier, with him. 

Matthew Marks, who was with his English bull dog, Elvis, said traveling with pets brought its own difficulties. His advice was to get moving early.

"People not knowing animals. They are either too scared or too enthusiastic," he said, as Elvis lied on the floor in front of a crowd taking his picture.

"He loves the trains. He just sleeps the whole time," said Marks who was heading to Rhode Island to see family.

Traveling with young children is often the most challenging. Mike Cervan, a 40-year-old from Boston was with his wife, 2-year-old daughter and 6-month old baby.

"We are the one causing the most chaos with these kids," Cervan joked. " I don't think we are going to travel with her until she is about 10."

In Midtown, some streets were closed starting at 10 a.m. in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday.

West 81st and 77th streets were closed to car traffic from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue while balloons were inflated for the parade.

People can view the balloons on either West 81st or 77th streets Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Officials advise entering the viewing area from the west side of Columbus Avenue at 79th Street.

After 10 p.m. Wednesday, Central Park West from 81st to 59th streets will be closed to traffic.
The floats will start taking their positions for the parade at 8 a.m. Thursday, with the kickoff at 9 a.m. from Central Park West and 77th Street.   

For a full list of street closures before and during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade see DNAinfo.com's story here

You can check out the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website for details about featured balloons and additional parade details.