Updated (2:30 p.m.): As the MTA readies a plan to reactivate the area’s transit network in the wake of Hurricane Irene, city and authority officials warned that full subway and commuter rail service will not return any time soon, but New York City Transit will begin restoring bus service at 5 p.m. today. To get the subways and commuter rail up and running, the MTA must first make a full assessment of its system. “This is a difficult process. There is damage,” MTA CEO and Chair Jay Walder said. “It’s going to take some time.”
During the Mayor’s press conference the year, Walder explained the challenges that await the MTA. While the East River tunnels did not flood, the three Metro-North lines all experienced severe flood damage and potential erosion, and the MTA must assess every part of its system including tracks, signals and tunnels. They cannot restore service until non-revenue trains pass through the system, and the MTA will also have to get its employees to work without the benefit of a subway system. “The actions we took yesterday were right,” Walder said.
While bus service will begin to return this afternoon, the subways remain a challenge. For instance, there are, according to Walder, “virtually no trains” located in Brooklyn right now, and returning trains to their rail yards will be a timely process. With no timetable in place yet, the MTA hopes to reactivate the bus network first as that equipment is “fine.” Getting drivers to work remains a challenge, and city officials anticipate a slow ride on Monday. “Tough commute tomorrow,” the Mayor said, “but we have tough commutes all the time.”
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