Broadway matinees went on as expected, and there were "no disruptions whatsoever" at the TKTS discount ticket booth at 47th Street and Broadway, according to the Theatre Development Fund, which operates TKTS. The police ended their work prior to matinee curtain time, so nearby shows like Mary Poppins on 42nd Street were not affected, though commuters arriving early for lunch or shopping might have needed to find an alternate walking route.

In the days leading up to the annual Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations, and following terror threats on airliners and in airports in recent days, there is heightened security in the U.S. — and at the so-called "crossroads of the world" at Broadway and Seventh Avenue.

According to published reports, there was no threat, after all, from an unmarked white van that was parked for perhaps two days at 42nd Street and Broadway at the south end of in Times Square.

Traffic had been temporarily interrupted Wednesday morning, and some subway exits were taped off, prompting commuters to find new exits leading away from the investigation zone.

Some buildings near the parked van were also evacuated as a precaution. Detective Martin Speechly of the New York Police Department told CNN that an illegal plaque was displayed in the front window of the van, which had not license plates on it. A tarp was covering the inside of the van.