MTA Fees Waived for Thursday, Friday
The tremendous amount of vehicle traffic in New York yesterday as the city and state tried to get back on track after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy led Gov. Andrew Cuomo to waive the MTA’s subway, bus and commuter rail services for today and Friday.
“The gridlock we experienced yesterday shows that the New York metropolitan region is in a transportation emergency,” Governor Cuomo said. “To get people out of their cars and onto mass transit, I immediately authorized the MTA to suspend transit fares through the end of the work week.”
The free transportation services include the New York City Subway, Buses, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North Railroad and Access-a-Ride until 11:59 p.m. on Friday.
Steady repairs have been taking place since the storm subsided, and limited service has been available on the Long Island Rail Road Ronkonkoma and Port Washington lines. There are still several obstructions on the tracks throughout Long Island, and crew members are still working on restoring power to third rails, crossing gates and signals.
Customers are warned to expect serious crowding because there are so many fewer trains than usual, and LIRR officials have asked customers to consider avoiding peak travel times.
LIRR President Helena Williams has said that restoring the Oyster Bay and Long Beach line will take longer due to the extent of local damage caused by the storm.
Long Islanders can expect NICE buses running at approximately 80 percent, with improvements and expanded transportation networks as roads are cleared and repaired.
Check out continual updates offered by the MTA.
Share your thoughts on this article by posting your comment below or visiting our Long Island Living discussion forum.