Sandy Update: A free – but limited – commute for the week’s end

On Wednesday evening, the Atlantic Avenue station was eerily silent. (Photo via Second Ave. Sagas on Instagram)

For much of New York City, Thursday morning brings relief. After a day of crushing congestion and gridlock that state officials called “dangerous,” limited subway service returns at 6 a.m. We even have a temporary map. But despite the quick restoration of some subway service, connections between Brooklyn and Manhattan remain severed, and a large number of New Yorkers face a very tough morning commute.

First, the good news: Subway, bus and commuter rail rides will be free for Thursday and Friday. After Wednesday’s gridlock, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a transit emergency and waived fares. “The gridlock we experienced today shows that the New York metropolitan region is in a transportation emergency,” Governor Cuomo said. It’s unclear what this means for the MTA’s economic outlook as the MTA loses $9 million every day the system is out of service and likely more when it has to pay employees and run free service. Still, with a fare hike looming in March, that’s a discussion for another day. The agency has not yet announced if monthly and weekly cards that were valid on Sunday will still be valid when fares are reinstated.

Second, the bad news: The MTA is urging riders to expect to spend an extra hour commuting on Thursday. Most trains are running local, and Transit is expecting to run trains only every 10 minutes — a far cry from usual rush hour, weekday frequency. The MTA is planning on more service for Friday than on Thursday though. “We want to get people back to work, but we are asking our customers for patience and understanding as they confront crowding and long lines as we repair our system,” MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota said in a statement last night. “Be flexible about your travel times. We have come a long way in a short time to repair the damage from the most devastating event to strike our transportation system.”

For those who are braving the ride on Thursday and are coming from Brooklyn into Manhattan, the MTA will be running a “bus bridge.” Essentially, using 330 buses, the authority will try to offer near-constant service from parts of Brooklyn to Midtown. The buses will depart from the Barclays Center, MetroTech and Hewes St. and will run along the Bowery and 3rd Avenue. The buses will stop at Delancey St. (northbound), Spring St. (southbound), 9th St., 14th St., 23rd St., 33rd St., 42nd St., and 54th St. before turning around.

The buses are a great step in the right direction, but it’s worth remember that a fleet of 330 buses can carry only a fraction of what the subway can carry. Buses will be crowded, and waits will be long. Even with HOV restrictions in place for all of Manhattan, those attempting to take advantage of the “Bus Bridge” should be prepared for long and slow rides. This is the first time the city has attempted such an undertaking, and it may be a smooth ride at first.

Finally, we have the commuter rails slowly coming back up to service as well. The LIRR will run limited service on Thursday, and the MTA is warning against slow commutes. Said the Governor’s Office: “Because service will be limited, waits will be longer and trains will be more crowded. Customers are advised to consider changing their normal routines to travel later in the morning or later in the evening. Customers should anticipate crowded conditions on all LIRR trains that run until more service is restored. For safety reasons, some trains may be required to skip stations if they become overcrowded. Customers may have to wait for the next train. The LIRR will make every effort to add additional trains whenever possible.” More LIRR details are available here.

Metro-North will run “close to regular” service on the Harlem Line between Mount Kisco and Grand Central and between Stamford and Grand Central. All other service is suspended. More Metro-North details are available here.

I’ll have more on Thursday as the MTA works to restore services. Based on how South Ferry and the end of the A train in the Rockaways look, though, a full restoration is a ways off. Hopefully, trains can run between Brooklyn and Manhattan by the weekend, and life can slowly return to normal. As Andrew Cuomo said, “We will rebuild the subway system and it will be better than before.”