MTA offers more commuter services for Thanksgiving holiday

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is adjusting schedules and fares this week to accommodate Thanksgiving holiday travelers.

For Long Island Rail Road riders, off-peak ticket prices will be in effect Thursday through Sunday to get travelers in the holiday spirit. The Family Fare discount will also be in effect all four days. That allows up to four kids ages 5-11 to ride one-way for $1 when accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or guardian.

On Wednesday afternoon, there will be nine extra eastbound trains from Penn Station to handle the anticipated preholiday rush home, the MTA said.

For Long Islanders going to and from New York City on Thanksgiving, 17 trains are being added: six more westbound trains and 11 more eastbound.

The schedule returns to normal Friday, with off-peak fares still in effect.

On Saturday and next Sunday, four westbound trains and six eastbound trains will be added to the regular weekend schedule. They will continue to run on the weekends through Jan. 4-5, "to make travel to and from the city more convenient," the MTA said.

Metro-North has also announced a beefed-up holiday schedule, with more trains coming in and out of the city that will carry more cars than usual. Metro-North said it expects to carry more than 100,000 customers on Thanksgiving, making it the busiest holiday of the year.

In the city, subways and buses will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving. According to the MTA, the closest subway stations to the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are for the 1 train at 79th Street and for the C train at 81st Street.