Transit officials around the New York City region warned on Friday of service suspensions and possible travel delays over the weekend, when a Nor’easter is expected to bring blizzard conditions to parts of Long Island and significant snow in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subway and buses and two suburban commuter rail lines, said that it would suspend service on the Long Island Rail Road by 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and chief executive, said at a news conference on Friday that service may be suspended earlier if the storm moves quickly
“We are preparing to suspend service early tomorrow morning during the worst of the storm, which could drop two inches of snow per hour,” Mr. Lieber said. “Just so you know, in the middle of the night some time, we’re going to be suspending service.”
The Metro-North Railroad, which serves the city’s northern suburbs, will run hourly service on its Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines. But Harlem Line service will run only as far north as Southeast, N.Y., and trains will not run on the New Canaan, Danbury or Waterbury branches in Connecticut.
Disruptions are likely on the city’s buses and subways, Mr. Lieber said. Transit officials do not expect to suspend subway service, but about 220 miles of the system’s tracks run outdoors rather than in tunnels, and travel on those sections can be affected by heavy snow or ice. The transportation authority has equipment like snowblowers and de-icing cars to help avoid significant service outages.
Bus service and schedules may be altered, depending on the condition of the city’s roads. Mr. Lieber said that the city’s extra-long articulated buses will be taken out of service for the storm, and the buses that remain in operation will be equipped with chains to help them travel on icy or snow-covered roads.
“Avoid unnecessary travel,” Mr. Lieber advised. “And if you have to travel, please exercise extreme caution.”
New Jersey Transit said it would suspend bus service on Saturday. The River Line, a light-rail system between Trenton and Camden, will not run. Otherwise, the agency said it would operate its regular schedule on Friday and Saturday, “for as long as weather and road conditions permit.”
Both New Jersey Transit and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority advised customers to check their social media feeds, websites and apps for the latest details.
