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Gov. Cuomo Directs Safety First Trans. Policy

Posted by
on August 26th, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Earlier today, Gov. Cuomo directed MTA officials to begin a hurricane plan. Here are the details courtesy of a press release sent out by the agency:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo this morning directed MTA officials to begin immediately implementing a hurricane plan designed to protect the safety of New Yorkers before, during and after the expected impacts of Hurricane Irene, with latest forecasts showing dangerous conditions reaching the area as early as Saturday evening. Governor Cuomo directed the MTA to use whatever resources necessary to ensure safety, consistent with the State of Emergency declared yesterday.

“The key word for this weekend is safety,” said Governor Cuomo. “Give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to be. Don’t take unnecessary chances and don’t wait until the last minute to make sure that your family is safe and secure. Please call 511 for statewide transportation information before traveling through the weekend.”

Chairman Jay H. Walder said: “We’re working very closely with the Governor’s Office, Mayor’s Office and regional OEMs to ensure our hurricane plan is implemented in a way that protects our customers, employees and equipment.”

The MTA’s Hurricane Plan is designed to help people get to safety prior to the storm and then to protect employees and equipment before dangerous sustained winds of more than 39 mph reach the area. This is a lengthy process that must begin hours in advance, with all MTA subway, bus and rail service beginning final runs approximately 8 hours before – and bus service 6 hours before – dangerous conditions materialize.

Details of the MTA’s service plan for Hurricane Irene are as follows:

Preparation/Evacuation:

• New York City has issued a mandatory evacuation for those living in the Rockaways and Flood Zone A. Those who wish to evacuate using MTA services should seek out existing routes. We will carry pets. Dogs must be leashed and, if possible should be muzzled. Cats should be in carriers.

• The MTA is running normal service on Friday, with sufficient capacity to allow people to leave vulnerable areas or reach safe destinations before service is suspended.

• Scheduled weekend construction projects have been cancelled to allow for potential evacuation and suspension of service.

Safe and Orderly Shutdown:

• The MTA will begin an incremental suspension of its subway, bus, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad service beginning approximately eight hours prior to sustained 39 mph winds reaching the area.
o Subways, buses and both railroads will begin shutting down service after 12 noon tomorrow.
o People needing to travel are encouraged to do so as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute.

• The MTA’s bridges and tunnels will be closed on a case-by-case basis as winds become dangerous, beginning with restrictions when sustained winds reach 39 mph. Closures and restrictions are not expected to begin until late Saturday night.

• Customers may call today (Friday) to schedule trips for Saturday morning. There will be no scheduled pickups after 12 noon on Saturday but Access-A-Ride will be working with OEM providing vehicles for the evacuation for disabled residents. There will be no Access-A-Ride service on Sunday, August 28 or Monday morning, August 29.

• All MTA construction sites are being secured, with cranes lowered.

• The MTA is working with law enforcement across the region to protect infrastructure during a system-wide shutdown.

• MTA stations and rail terminals are not designated shelters and will be closed in the event of a service shutdown. Those in need of assistance will be directed to designated nearby shelters.

Safe and Orderly Restoration:

• As soon as conditions allow following the storm, MTA personnel will evaluate damage and begin implementing its plan to restore service as quickly as possible while protecting the safety of all involved.

• Even with minimal damage this is expected to be a lengthy process that will impact service on Monday. MTA riders are urged to call 511 and stay tuned to mta.info and local news broadcasts before traveling.

• State helicopters will be deployed to assist the MTA in assessing storm damage

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Buses Replace Trains On Port Washington Line

Posted by
on August 25th, 2011 at 6:41 pm

Just a few minutes ago, I received word from the LIRR that buses will replace early morning trains between Port Washington and Great Neck due to emergency track drainage repair work. Here are the complete details:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road will substitute buses and vans in place of early-morning train service between Port Washington and Great Neck this Saturday, August 27 as LIRR workers carry out emergency track drainage repair work in the single track section of the Port Washington Branch in Manhasset. Two eastbound and two westbound trains will be affected.

Eastbound:

The 1:19 AM and 1:39 AM trains from Penn Station to Port Washington will terminate at Great Neck. Customers on these trains traveling to Manhasset, Plandome and Port Washington will board a bus or van at Great Neck for the remainder of their trip. Affected eastbound customers should allow up to 27 minutes additional travel time depending on their final destination.

Westbound:

The 2:10 AM and 3:40 AM trains from Port Washington to Penn Station will originate instead from Great Neck. Westbound customers at Port Washington, Plandome and Manhasset stations will board a bus or van for the trip to Great Neck, and then a train to points west. Affected westbound customers should allow up to 30 minutes additional travel time depending on their final destination.

Customers are advised to pick up the special Port Washington Branch timetable card for early-morning travel on Saturday, August 27.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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3

LIRR Reducing Service Due To Hurricane Irene

Posted by
on August 25th, 2011 at 6:26 pm

The potential damage that will stem from Hurricane Irene has caused the MTA Long Island Rail Road to reduce some service. Here are the details courtesy of a press release I received a few minutes ago:

MTA Long Island Rail Road is making some adjustments to its service in advance of Hurricane Irene reaching Long Island as the LIRR prepares to secure and protect its equipment and infrastructure from the hurricane force winds and flooding expected to hit the Island on Sunday, August 28. Train equipment – both electric and diesel – is being removed from yards in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. As a result, the LIRR is reducing some of its Friday afternoon train service to the Hamptons and Montauk. Hamptons Reserve service will not be offered this Friday.

The LIRR is asking its customers to review their travel plans taking into consideration the impact of the storm. Because of the severity of the wind and rain associated with a hurricane, there may be a partial or full shut down of LIRR service prior to the storm making landfall on Long Island to ensure the safety of our customers and employees.

Regular train service will continue to operate with the following cancellations, or alterations, to Friday-only Hamptons/Montauk service tomorrow:

• 1:49 PM from Hunterspoint due Montauk at 4:45 PM is canceled.

• 4:30 PM from Hunterspoint due Montauk 7:35 PM is canceled.

• 5:09 PM from Penn Station due Montauk at 8:29 PM will instead terminate at Speonk at 7:13 PM.

• 7:38 PM from Jamaica due Montauk at 10:10 PM is canceled.

While the 3:58 PM train from Penn Station to Montauk will operate this Friday, it will run on its Thursday schedule arriving Montauk 6:45 PM, and it will not have the Hampton Reserve cars.

In addition, the LIRR is also canceling track work that was scheduled this weekend on the Far Rockaway Branch prior to the development of the storm. Additionally, the LIRR will not be substituting buses, as previously planned prior to the storm, for some Sunday morning train service on the Oyster Bay Branch for the running of the Oyster Bay Triathlon.

I will provide any & all updates from the LIRR as I receive them.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

MTA Statement On Hurricane Irene

Posted by
on August 25th, 2011 at 6:20 pm

With Hurricane Irene set to potentially hammer our region, the MTA is in full prep mode. Earlier today, the agency released a brief statement & here it is via the press release I received:

The MTA is actively preparing for the impact of Hurricane Irene, coordinating with the Governor’s Office, Mayor’s Office and regional OEMs consistent with our Hurricane Plan. We are making arrangements to bring in extra personnel over the weekend, preparing our facilities and infrastructure by clearing drains, securing work sites against possible high winds, checking and fueling equipment, stocking supplies, and establishing plans to move equipment and supplies away from low-lying areas as needed.

Because of the severity of the wind and rain associated with a hurricane, there may be partial or full shut down of our services to ensure the safety of our customers and employees. We are also prepared to implement evacuation plans if the Mayor and Governor decide that is necessary. We urge our customers to check mta.info frequently and to consider the impacts of this storm when making travel plans through the weekend.

This storm might potentially ruin my plans for the weekend. However regardless of whether I go out or not, I will be around to provide updates.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Buses Replace LIRR Far Rockaway Trains

Posted by
on August 24th, 2011 at 5:44 pm

Earlier this afternoon, the MTA Long Island Rail Road announced that buses will replace trains on the Far Rockaway branch this Sunday due to switch surfacing work. Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:

MTA Long Island Rail Road customers planning to ride the Far Rockaway Branch this Sunday are advised to allow up to an hour extra travel time as buses replace trains during the resurfacing of a key switching point.

Buses will replace trains on the Far Rockaway Branch from 12:15 AM this Sunday, August 28 through 1:40 AM on Monday, August 29.

The work will require the suspension of train service between Far Rockaway and Valley Stream for a little over 25 hours and entails the realignment of track and switches on the western end of Valley Stream, resulting in a smoother ride and better service reliability.

On Saturday at night the last eastbound departure before the service suspension will be the 11:10 PM from Penn Station, scheduled to arrive in Far Rockaway at 12:05 AM. Sunday morning. Also on Saturday night, the last westbound departure before the service suspension will be the 11:50 PM train from Far Rockaway, scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 12:44 AM.

Eastbound – Sunday, August 28 through Monday, August 29 at 1:40 AM:

After 12: 15 AM Sunday, eastbound customers will travel by train as far as Valley Stream and then board buses to complete the rest of their journey, arriving at their destinations up to 34 minutes later than usual.

In addition, due to track work on the Main Line, the train scheduled to depart Penn Station for Far Rockaway at 12:16 AM, will leave Penn 15 minutes earlier at 12:01.

Westbound – Sunday, August 28 through Monday, August 29 at 1:40 AM:

Westbound customers will board buses up to 51 minutes later than usual at their home stations to Valley Stream where train service will resume. Passengers can expect to arrive at their destinations up to 60 minutes later than usual.

Passengers taking the westbound train that normally departs Far Rockaway at 12:42 AM, Inwood at 12:46 AM, Lawrence at 12:48 AM, Cedarhurst at 12:51 AM, Woodmere at 12:54 AM, Hewlett at 12:56 AM and Gibson at 12:59 AM will change at Valley Stream for local bus service to Rosedale, Laurelton and Locust Manor.

Passengers taking the westbound train that normally departs Far Rockaway at 1:38 AM will instead board buses to Jamaica where train service will resume.

Far Rockaway customers are advised to pick up the special Far Rockaway timetable card for travel on Sunday, August 28.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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