Planning Labor Day weekend travel? NY area traffic will get rough starting Thursday.

Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be a busy travel time for the New York City metro area.

Traffic expert and former city traffic commissioner Sam Schwartz said traffic levels are back up to pre-pandemic highs, and the beautiful weather forecast for this weekend will only make for busier roads.

“ We're expecting to see record traffic volumes for most of the holiday weekend, and we're expecting with the good weather to see more people on the road and more people trying to extend their vacations into Monday and even Tuesday,” he said.

Schwartz said traffic patterns are also shifting, with more people heading out the Thursday before Labor Day rather than the Friday — making Thursday afternoon one of the busiest times to travel.

Gothamist compiled information on all forms of travel below. But regardless of which New Yorkers plan to take, they should plan for extra travel time.

Behind the wheel

Schwartz said if you’re reading this now, you’ve already missed the calmer traffic heading out of the city. But if you’re planning on heading out Thursday or Friday, the best time to hit the road will be early morning before 11 a.m. — and even before 8 a.m. if you’re heading to the Hamptons.

If you’re heading back into the city on Labor Day itself, Schwartz said, earlier is better.

“ At night, you may encounter a lot of traffic, especially with good weather,” he said.

Conditions are expected to stay cool and dry through Labor Day weekend.

While many New Yorkers be making one last summer escape from the city, New York is also one of the country’s top domestic destinations, according to the nonprofit American Automobile Association.

The Port Authority is suspending all non-emergency repairs and construction projects in anticipation of the busy travel period from 5 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, when an estimated 4.2 million vehicles will use the agency's bridges and tunnels. That's around the same number as last year.

Monday’s West Indian American Day Junior Carnival Parade — and events running up to it — will also affect traffic in Brooklyn over the weekend. Streets along the route will be closed as early as Saturday. For a full list of closures, see the city Department of Transportation’s advisory.

In the skies

A record 2.4 million travelers are expected at Port Authority airports during the 6-day Labor Day travel period, a 1% increase from the record set last year, according to the agency.

The busiest days at the airports — JFK, Newark, LaGuardia and Stewart — are expected to be Thursday, Friday and Monday.

“That means the roadways by the airports like the Van Wick, the Belt Parkway, the Grand Central Parkway, the New Jersey Turnpike will all be overloaded, particularly Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon,” Schwartz said.

In its travel advisory, the Port Authority said travelers should expect longer wait times at its airports due to the higher passenger volume and ongoing construction.

The agency encouraged travelers to plan for additional travel time and prebook parking spaces if driving, or use public transportation when possible to access its airports. It also advised passengers on domestic flights to arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance of their departure time, and passengers on international flights to arrive at the airport at least three hours in advance.

Find more flying travel tips from the Port Authority here.

On the rails

Want to skip the traffic altogether? The MTA is promising it’s “the best way to travel this Labor Day Weekend,” including on its trains.

According to its travel advisory, Long Island Rail Road will operate on a normal Saturday schedule both Saturday and Sunday. It will operate on a holiday schedule Monday, with the Montauk branch running on a Sunday schedule.

Metro-North will be running extra trains on its three East of Hudson lines Friday. It’ll also run “early-getaway” trains Friday on its Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines.

NJ Transit is adding extra service departing New York, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday for the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris and Essex, and Port Jervis lines. Some other trains that day will be canceled or combined to accommodate the extra “early-getaway” service.

Trains will run on a normal weekend schedule Saturday and Sunday, and then on a weekend/holiday schedule Monday. NJ Transit’s schedules are here.

Buses, subways and PATH

Having a staycation? As the city empties out for the holiday, the MTA’s buses and subways will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday, Sept. 1. Information on planned service changes throughout the weekend will be available on the agency's website.

Most NJ Transit buses will be running on Saturday or Sunday schedules on Labor Day, with a full breakdown available here.

Hoboken PATH riders should note their local station will be closed over the holiday weekend for repairs. The station is closing so crews can replace a faulty component from the interlocking system installed during a full-month shutdown in February.