Home Asides Snowpocalypse 2K2015: Cuomo, MTA announce systemwide changes with more expected this afternoon

Snowpocalypse 2K2015: Cuomo, MTA announce systemwide changes with more expected this afternoon

by Benjamin Kabak

(1:30 p.m.): The National Weather Service is still predicted up to 30 inches of snow for New York City, and as the storm arrives, the MTA’s plans are coming into view. The agency plans to provide a definitive update at 4 p.m. on whether or not subway service will be shuttered completely, but for now, expect slower service following the end of the evening rush hour.

At a news conference about 40 minutes ago, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast and Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed the MTA’s plans. The agency expects to operate normal subway service until around 7 p.m., and then between 7-8 p.m., the agency will begin to curtail express service as trains are moved underground. Some above-ground/at-grade lines may see service reductions or cancellations entirely, but those will not be announced until 4 p.m. or as weather dictates. Meanwhile, LIRR and Metro-North will stop running at 11 p.m. at the latest. In the meantime, the MTA has announced additional service on the commuter lines between now and 4 p.m. (LIRR; Metro-North)

Finally, in New Jersey-centric news, both PATH and NJ Transit will be reducing service as well. No New Jersey Transit trains will run after 10 p.m. with the last trains leaving their terminals at around 8 p.m. This gives crews plenty of time to store the trains to ensure maximum weather-related damage. PATH meanwhile will run on a weekend schedule after 9 p.m. with trains operating after 15 minutes or so. Both Cuomo and NJ Governor Chris Christie have urged residents to get home early and stay off the roads. I’ll update the site as more details become available. You can also follow me on Twitter for real-time updates.

As an aside, tomorrow night’s “Problem Solvers” event at the Transit Museum has been postponed due to snow. Ironically, the event was supposed to be about the MTA’s efforts at recovering from a major weather event, and instead, we’re stuck inside of another major weather event. I’ll let you know when the session has been rescheduled.

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13 comments

JJJ January 26, 2015 - 2:11 pm

Id like to note that my predictions in the other thread were only an hour off.

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Dan Kohn January 26, 2015 - 2:24 pm

Is “store the trains to ensure maximum weather-related damage” an intentional or unintentional reference to the $120 M of avoidable Sandy damage? http://www.wnyc.org/story/292666-njtransit-sandy/

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Benjamin Kabak January 26, 2015 - 2:30 pm

Intentional/snarky. You got the reference right.

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Charles Krueger January 26, 2015 - 2:55 pm

NJ Transit say trains won’t run again until Thursday!

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adirondacker12800 January 26, 2015 - 5:32 pm

If you get 30 inches of snow the roads aren’t going to be open until Thursday. The NJTransit employees won’t be able to get to work and the passengers won’t be able to make it to the bus or train. Anyway if the emergency is still in effect it’s illegal for you to leave where you are.

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eo January 26, 2015 - 3:14 pm

Now NJTransit is cancelling trains even on Wednesday — we are becoming a joke nation. How can they know what it will be like Tuesday evening and Wednesday? I know they will need to dig out like everyone else, but a blanket “we are definitely not running Wednesday” is idiotic at this time. Just let the situation on the ground decide. This is what we get for having a governor who never took public transportation in his life — he prioritizes cars because that is how he travels.

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SEAN January 26, 2015 - 4:33 pm

That was revised to a reavaluation for Wednesday on NJT.

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Chuck January 26, 2015 - 4:43 pm

Call me a cynic, but I think NJT just got caught trying to overstate a problem so that when they complete it faster than expected, their public perception takes a jump. (see: Montague Street tunnel repair)

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Alon Levy January 26, 2015 - 3:22 pm

2K2015?

Also, there’s a drinking game, for those of you who drink.

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SEAN January 26, 2015 - 4:39 pm

Snowpocalypse 2K2015: sounds like a Sega sports video game title. LOL

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adirondacker12800 January 26, 2015 - 6:18 pm

providing safer transit options for people who must travel.

The people who must travel during a weather emergency are people who respond to or facilitate the response to 911 calls. Everyone else can stay where they are if they are stupid enough to not get themselves home by 10 or 11. Unless you work in an ambulance, fire truck, police car, a hospital or a snow plowing vehicle you should stay put.

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numerist January 26, 2015 - 6:21 pm

2k2015?
doesn’t that convert to 20002015?

perhaps you meant 2K15?

or MMXV?

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Stephen January 27, 2015 - 8:52 am

Thank you. I’ve been wondering the same thing.

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