Here’s why the MTA is temporarily moving these express bus stops in NYC

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island express bus riders should prepare for a few weeks of disruptions and route changes between now and the new year.

On Wednesday, Dec. 3 the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit, bringing thousands to the surrounding Midtown Manhattan streets.

On the day of the tree lighting, several major express routes will be detoured around Midtown Manhattan, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

SIM1C, SIM3C

The SIM1C and SIM3C will be detoured, running between Sixth Avenue at East 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue at West 57th Street.

For northbound service, riders should use stops near Sixth Avenue at West 15th Street or Sixth Avenue at West 57th Street.

For southbound service, use the stops located on Central Park South at Sixth Avenue or Fifth Avenue at West 40th Street.

Northbound buses on this route will travel along Madison Avenue for the detour. Southbound buses will use Seventh Avenue.

SIM3, SIM4C, SIM10, and SIM33C

Stops for southbound SIM3, SIM4C, SIM10, and SIM33C buses on West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue, and on Fifth Avenue, at West 55th Street and West 48th Street, will be closed.

Riders should board at the stops located on Central Park South at Sixth Avenue or Fifth Avenue at West 40th Street. Buses will make requested stops along Seventh Avenue.

SIM8 and SIM25

Southbound SIM8 and SIM25 stops on East 57th Street, at Madison Avenue, and on Fifth Avenue, from East 55th to East 46th Street, will be closed.

Buses will detour along Lexington Avenue and riders should use stops at East 57th Street at Lexington Avenue or West 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue.

SIM22 and SIM26

Southbound SIM22 and SIM26 buses will skip the stop on Lexington Avenue at East 45th Street. Instead, passengers should use the stops located on Lexington Avenue at East 53rd Street or East 42nd Street at Madison Avenue.

SIM23 and SIM24

SIM23 and SIM24 buses heading south will not stop on Fifth Avenue from West 54th Street to West 37th, and will skip the stops located on West 34th Street at Fifth and Sixth avenues.

Riders should use stops located on Fifth Avenue at West 59th Street or on West 34th Street at Seventh Avenue.

SIM30 and SIM31

The southbound SIM30 stops located on Fifth Avenue at West 55th and West 48th Streets will be closed. The bus will detour on Lexington Avenue.

For service, SIM30 riders should use stops on West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue or West 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue.

SIM31 buses heading south will not stop on East 57th Street at Madison Avenue or Fifth Avenue at East 51st Street.

Instead, the MTA advises to use stops on East 57th Street at Lexington Avenue or Fifth Avenue at West 40th Street.

Further changes

After the tree lighting on Wednesday, the MTA will continue some planned stop changes for several express bus routes on Staten Island.

According to the MTA’s planned service changes website, northbound SIM1, SIM3 and SIM10 buses will skip the stop on Sixth Avenue at West 50th Street.

Instead, these buses will let passengers off at the stop on Sixth Avenue at West 51st Street, north of Radio City Music Hall.

Southbound SIM10 and SIM31 buses will skip the Fifth Avenue and West 51st Street stop. Instead, they will use on Fifth Avenue, between West 48th and West 47th Street at a temporary bus stop along the route.

These changes will be in effect through Jan. 4, according to the MTA.

The public transportation agency also warned that express buses in Midtown might experience ongoing delays and unplanned detours in response to the gridlock alert days that are scheduled throughout December.