What to know ahead of the Knicks Championship Parade
Officials expect turnout to be enormous, with the NYPD saying Thursday will mark the largest deployment for a planned event in department history. More than 10,000 officers will be assigned to the celebration.
If you’re going to be cheering on the NBA champions Thursday, be prepared for massive crowds as the city finalizes plans for a championship parade through Lower Manhattan. Additional information about the parade and City Hall ceremony is available HERE.
City officials are also putting major transportation and security measures in place. Officials expect turnout to be enormous, with the NYPD saying Thursday will mark the largest deployment for a planned event in department history. More than 10,000 officers will be assigned to the celebration.
All parade attendees will go through security screening, with viewing pens opening at 6 a.m. Officials say no bags will be allowed. Prohibited items include glass or metal water bottles, bats or batons, bicycles or scooters, chairs, coolers, drones, backpacks, pets, strollers, umbrellas and weapons. Plastic water bottles will be permitted. People who live or work in buildings along the parade route will still be able to enter with proper identification.
Parking will be prohibited south of Canal Street starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Any remaining vehicles will be towed. By 7 a.m. Thursday, streets south of Canal will be closed to vehicle traffic from the Hudson River to the East River. The FDR Drive and West Side Highway will remain open, but drivers exiting the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan will only be able to head north on the FDR. Pedestrians will still be able to use the bridge walkway.
A separate City Hall ceremony will be limited to ticket holders. The same screening procedures and item restrictions will apply there as well.
Transit will also be affected. Beginning at 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the Wall Street stations on the 4 and 5 lines and the City Hall stations on the R and W lines will be closed until after the parade and ceremony. Nearby stations, including Bowling Green, Fulton Street, Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall, Chambers Street and Park Place, will remain open.
The Department of Sanitation says it will deploy 70 sanitation officers and 650 sanitation workers along Broadway and surrounding streets. Crews will use collection trucks, mechanical brooms and backpack blowers to ensure the area is cleaned and reopened quickly after the celebration ends.
Officials are urging anyone planning to attend to review all logistics in advance and allow extra time for travel as the city prepares large-scale celebrations.
