MTA workers boarding up subway grates in low-lying areas. (Getty)
As with Hurricane Irene, the MTA must decide whether to shut down the system before the storm actually gets here because it takes time to move the rolling stock to higher ground. This not only protects the equipment but also allows for an orderly reactivation of service.
The MTA is waiting until tomorrow to decide if it will shut down service or not, based on developing forecasts, but if it does, MTA CEO Joe Lhota announced today that the system would begin to wind down starting around 7 p.m. Sunday night, with the full end of service by 3 a.m. Monday morning.
Mr. Lhota stressed that people should plan their activities tomorrow around the possibility of a shutdown regardless of what the agency ultimately decides. A final decision is not expected until sometime tomorrow afternoon, which might not give riders time to make it home should they forestall their travel.
"If you're coming into the city tomorrow, plan accordingly," Mr. Lhota said.
Just because the MTA will be in some operation until 3 a.m. on Monday does not mean riders should wait to be on the move.
"All throughout our system it will be similar to what with happened with Hurricane Irene, or Tropical Storm Irene, two years ago," Mr. Lhota explained. "That won't happen until we get a go decision, sometime tomorrow, and then it will be started at 7 p.m. up until 3 a.m. So there will be inconsistent service until after 7 o'clock so I really encourage all New Yorkers to be where you need to be or try and be home after 7 o'clock because there's really no guarantee after that, it will be inconsistent while we're getting all of our assets under control."
The main factors driving the shutdown is flooding, especially for the subway, though high winds can also play a factor. This is particularly and issue for the buses, which have to stop for anything over 39 miles per hour, as this can push the buses around dangerously. The bridges are also at risk when winds reach 60 miles per hour, though who really wants to be out driving in those kinds of conditions?
The full advisory from the MTA is below:
New York City Transit
If a decision is made to suspend service, all New York City subway and bus service would need to be suspended by early Monday morning to allow crews to secure stations, tracks and tunnels before the onset of sustained winds of 39 mph or higher.
On the subway system, where the orderly suspension of service takes eight hours, service would begin to be curtailed after 7 p.m. Sunday. While some trains may continue to run for several additional hours, there would be no guarantee of any subway service after that time, so all customers who rely on the subway would have to plan to complete their travel by 7 p.m. Sunday.
The bus system requires six hours for the orderly suspension of service, so buses would be able to remain on their normal routes for as much as two hours after 7 p.m. Sunday. There would be no guarantee of any bus service after that time.
The MTA would run normal service until those times, with sufficient capacity to allow customers to leave vulnerable areas and reach safe destinations before service is suspended. Those who use the MTA to evacuate would be allowed to carry pets. Dogs must be leashed and, if possible, muzzled. Cats should be in carriers.
Subway stations in flood-prone locations such as lower Manhattan would be evacuated and secured. Critical track-level components would be removed from tunnels under rivers so they will not suffer the corrosive effects of salt water if they are flooded. Workers would secure all elevated stations to protect against damaging winds.
There would be no Access-A-Ride trips scheduled after 12 p.m. Sunday. Customers will be able to schedule trips until then.
Metro-North Railroad
If a decision is made to suspend service, Metro-North Railroad would run its final trains at 7 p.m. Sunday to prepare for the arrival of high winds and heavy rain. Customers are urged not to wait for the last trains when making their travel plans.
Grand Central Terminal, including its shops and restaurants, and all outlying Metro-North station buildings would be closed for the duration of the service suspension. In preparation, train equipment is being moved out of low-lying locations known to be prone to flooding, such as the Highbridge and Mott Haven yards in the Bronx.
As the storm approaches, Metro-North has secured its infrastructure by moving trucks and equipment such as backhoes, cranes and bulldozers, to higher ground.
Parking lots that usually flood, such as the ones at White Plains and Beacon, would be barricaded. Connecting ferry service at Beacon and Ossining would be suspended. The Hudson RailLink that serves Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale would be suspended.
Metro-North has asked many employees to shelter during the storm at a Metro-North facility, so they will be immediately available to begin recovery efforts when the worst of the storm has passed.
Long Island Rail Road
If a decision is made to suspend service, Long Island Rail Road would run its final trains at 7 p.m. Sunday. Service would be suspended earlier on some outlying parts of the system because crews would be required to secure or remove 690 gates at 295 railroad crossings across Long Island to prevent them from being damaged by wind. Customers are urged not to wait for the last trains when making their travel plans.
This process takes approximately 12 hours and must be completed prior to forecasted sustained winds of 39 mph or higher. Crews would begin by removing gates east of Ronkonkoma on the Main Line to Greenport, where weekend service does not operate at this time of year. Additionally, crossing gates would start being removed on the Montauk Branch east of Speonk beginning Sunday morning, so train service would be replaced with buses from 9 a.m. Sunday until the full service suspension takes effect at 7 p.m.
Long Island residents, pedestrians and drivers need to be aware that the third rail remains electrified even during a service suspension and equipment trains may be operating. Please act in a safe manner in and around tracks.
In order to restore service, train equipment and crews must be repositioned, all crossing gates re-installed and fully tested and power to the crossing gates restored. In addition, any debris, such as fallen trees, must be removed from tracks and the right of way inspected.