MTA Bridges and Tunnels to Implement Ban on Empty Tractor-Trailers and Tandem Trucks Starting Tonight at 6:00 p.m.
MTA Crews Prepositioned to Respond to Weather-Related Issues
MTA Recommends that Customers Travel Early in the Day to Avoid Worst of the Storm
View Photos of Agency Preparations
View Video of Agency Preparations
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) continues to closely monitor weather conditions forecast for this evening into Wednesday morning that are expected to bring heavy rain and high winds, including gusts of up to 60 miles per hour. MTA employees will be poised to respond to any weather-related issues, including removal of trees that may fall across tracks.
Metro-North Rail Road
“The storm is expected to gain in intensity throughout this evening so Metro-North customers should consider traveling earlier before the storm’s possible impact to our system,” said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi. “Everyone should take care on slippery surfaces, build in additional travel time, and check mta.info or our TrainTime app for possible weather-related service changes or delays.”
Metro-North crews will be particularly focused on northern sections of the territory that received significant snow over the weekend. The rain and warmer temperatures will lead to snow melt that could cause flooding due to saturated ground.
Long Island Rail Road
“LIRR crews are preparing the system for the incoming weather by pre-positioning equipment so they can respond quickly to any challenges brought on by the heavy winds and rain,” said Acting LIRR President Rob Free. “This storm is expected to affect the ride home on Tuesday and the ride to work on Wednesday and customers should monitor the TrainTime app and the MTA Web site for real time service updates.”
Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road crews will be pre-positioned around the system ready to respond to any weather-related issues.
Crews have equipment on hand to be able to respond quickly as conditions warrant – chainsaws for clearing downed trees, pumps in the event of flooded areas, identifying locations and availability of supplies for replacing damaged utility poles and crossing gates. Diesel locomotives will also be pre-positioned to minimize any potential service impacts.
Personnel will survey and clear drainage areas where necessary, fortify key locations as well as any track structures requiring attention.
MTA Bridges & Tunnels
Based on the current weather forecast, MTA Bridges and Tunnels will implement a ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks beginning tonight at 6:00 p.m. The ban is expected to be in place until 6:00 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 10.
“High winds are always a particular concern for long-span bridges,” said MTA Bridges & Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan. “MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ personnel will closely monitor the weather conditions and wind speeds and are ready to respond immediately to any issues which occur.”
Pedestrian walkways at the Cross Bay Bridge and Marine Parkway Bridge will be closed during this time. Pedestrian walkways at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and the Henry Hudson Bridge will remain open as weather conditions permit.
New York City Subway
Due to the nature of the subway system, rainwater will inevitably go down into the system and impact infrastructure. NYC Transit’s focus during heavy rain events is to minimize impacts to service by responding and removing water quickly when it does infiltrate the system.
“New York City Transit pumps millions of gallons of water out of the system every day and our employees are uniquely qualified to respond quickly to any weather-related issues such as significant water intrusion and wind,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “NYC Transit crews are in the system ahead of this storm ensuring that we are prepared to react to any emergency.”
NYC Transit’s Department of Subways has a fleet of emergency response equipment including emergency trucks, deployable pumps, debris trains and pump trains ready to deploy and respond to flooding conditions. Field personnel inspects and clean vents at flood-prone locations, and personnel are staged at critical locations including stations and yards, ready to deploy and respond to flooding conditions.
New York City Buses
MTA personnel will monitor routes for known flooding situations and have detours prepared. Extra personnel will be on standby in the event of service disruptions or subway shutdowns.
All bus facilities will have roof drains checked to ensure they are clear of debris and any loose materials will be secured. Emergency generators are being checked and will be ready in the event of a power outage.
Access-A-Ride
Access-A-Ride paratransit will continue to provide service. Customers may experience additional delays and wait times. Customers may want to consider adjusting their travel plans.
Paratransit Command Center will be monitoring the storm to track and respond to any customer or day of service issues.