Metropolitan Transporation Authority Press Releases

MTA HQ Press Release: Getting Around the Region During the Storm

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

With a snowstorm threatening to drop anywhere between 8 and 18 inches of snow across the region, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reminds New Yorkers to take extra care in their travels tomorrow and Thursday, and in some cases allow for additional travel time. The MTA is taking steps to ensure the safe operation of its subways, buses, commuter trains, bridges and tunnels, but as snow accumulates and weather conditions change, travelers should check the MTA's website at MTA.info for the latest advisories about possible service changes.

"When a winter storm hits, the MTA works harder not just to continue to provide safe service, but to provide extra information to customers to help them make decisions about when and how to travel," said Jay H. Walder, Chairman and CEO of the MTA. "We urge customers to do their part by checking our website for the latest service advisories, and, for those who are signed up for our service alerts, paying extra attention to their email accounts and incoming text messages."

Tomorrow morning, rush-hour service on subways and buses, the Long Island Rail Road, and bridges and tunnels is expected to remain normal. Metro-North Railroad will operate on a reduced schedule, with about 70% of inbound morning rush-hour trains running. As the day progresses, service on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road will differ from a normal weekday schedule, with more trains being added between noon and 4 p.m., and fewer trains operating during the usual height of the evening rush hour. Customers should visit MTA.info to find schedules for tomorrow's trains.

Subway service should remain on or close to regular service levels during rush hours and middays, but delays and disruptions are possible as snow accumulates on tracks and streets, and express subway service may be reduced or eliminated on some routes during evening and overnight hours as underground express tracks are put to use for train storage.

The steps that the MTA agencies will take to ensure continued operations throughout and immediately after the storm include the following:

MTA New York City Transit, MTA Long Island Rail Road and MTA Metro-North Railroad maintain fleets of snow and ice-busting equipment designed to keep outdoor tracks, third rails and overhead wires clear of snow and ice. The fleet includes super-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow-blowers, de-icing cars, and pilot trains equipped with plows, all designed to keep service moving. This equipment provides the ability to run trains more often, which also serves as a way to keep tracks clear of snow.
MTA New York City Transit protects its subway trains from snow, ice and sub-freezing temperatures by moving them from outside yards into storage on the express tracks in tunnels. This causes a reduction of express service during evenings and overnight hours, with more limited impact during middays and rush-hours.
Track switches will be treated with anti-freeze, and switch heaters will be turned on during the storm to keep switches moving freely so we can continue to route trains from one track to another.
Crews will shovel and salt outdoor platforms and steps at all subway and commuter rail stations.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels has 7,000 tons of deicer available to be applied at roadways and toll plazas at its seven bridges and two tunnels, plus nearly 100 pieces of snow-removal equipment including plows that will be deployed as needed.
MTA New York City Transit will deploy 31 salt-spreading trucks along its highest priority bus routes beginning this evening, particularly those with hills.
The MTA's bus operations will place chains on the tires of 700 to 800 buses to ensure they have better traction in snow, slush and ice. The first buses to receive those chains are those that operate on overnight routes.

NYCT Press Release: MTA New York City Transit Posts Winter Weather Subway Service Changes

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Due to the forecast of a brutal winter storm beginning this evening, some MTA New York City subway lines will not operate normally or according to the printed schedule. To help inform customers, MTA New York City Transit has created an informative poster to alert riders of what to expect.

Heavy snow, ice and freezing rain require that out-of-service trains be stored in subway tunnels rather than be left sitting in outside yards. This insures that trains will be ready for tomorrow morning's rush hour service and that car interiors will maintain a comfortable temperature.

Of course, we will try to maintain as much train service as possible, but during instances of severe winter weather, the following changes will most likely be in effect:

A, E, D, F, N, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains may run local for portions of their route.
The B, V, W will end service earlier than normal; customers can take the D/Q/F or N instead.
42nd St. S shuttle runs all night.
Rockaway Park S shuttle extends to Euclid Av
G service between Court Sq and 71-Continental Aves. will be suspended.
All 6 service in the Bronx may be local

These service adjustments are explained on NYC Transit's Cold Weather service posters, which are installed in subway stations and cars throughout the system.

In addition, all scheduled over-night maintenance, repair and upgrade projects have been cancelled, as have any changes to normal subway service. Of course, subway customers should allow for additional travel times whenever there is inclement weather. Service Status alerts are posted on the MTA home page at www.mta.info.

LIRR Press Release: LIRR Announces Winter Storm Operating Plan For Wednesday, February 10th Storm

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

The LIRR announced, today, its winter storm operating plan in anticipation of a significant snowstorm hitting Long Island starting early Wednesday morning, February 10. The plan provides extra, early-afternoon trains on Wednesday, reduced evening rush hour service, and , depending on snow accumulations, some temporary service suspensions for snow clearing and recovery operations.

Wednesday Early Afternoon, Feb. 10
Since the storm will get underway prior to Wednesday morning's rush hour and build throughout the day, the LIRR will operate extra, early-afternoon departures from Penn Station for those customers looking to leave work early due to the storm. This extra service includes 13 additional eastbound trains from Penn Station between 12:55 PM and 3:48 PM. Three of the extra trains would operate on the Port Jefferson Branch, six on the Babylon Branch, two on the Ronkonkoma Branch, one on the Port Washington Branch to Great Neck and one on the Far Rockaway Branch.

The extra, early-afternoon service is as follows:
Ronkonkoma Branch:
• 12:55 PM stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, then all stops to Ronkonkoma
• 1:58 PM stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, then all stops to Ronkonkoma

Port Jefferson Branch to Hicksville and Huntington
• 2:09 PM stopping at Jamaica, Carle Place, then all stops to Huntington
• 2:25 PM stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, then all stops to Huntington
• 3:24 PM stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville

Babylon Branch
• 1:30 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 1:53 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 2:12 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 2:22 PM express to Lynbrook, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:00 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:31 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

Port Washington Branch to Great Neck
• 3:40 PM stopping Woodside, Flushing-Main St., then all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch
• 3:48 PM stopping at Jamaica, Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, Valley Stream, then all stops to Far Rockaway

Ronkonkoma-Greenport Service:
After the morning rush, train service between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be replaced with buses.

Wednesday, Evening, Feb. 10
While the LIRR will take all measures possible to keep train service operating throughout the system, to ensure customer and employee safety, the LIRR may temporarily suspend train service when snow accumulation reaches between 10 and 13 inches. These temporary suspensions, while excess amounts of snow are removed from the track, will continue until safe and reliable service can be restored. In dealing with the storm, the LIRR will turn on its switch heaters, operate its antifreeze trains and its regular electric train cars with special scraper shoes to help reduce third rail icing. We also use heavy-duty snow removal equipment – including our special cold-air track snow blowers and track snow brooms as well as snow jets for yards. Extra LIRR personnel will be deployed throughout the railroad to assist in keeping the system up and running and helping keep customers informed of service adjustments.

During Wednesday's evening rush hour, service reductions will be implemented through canceling and combing 22 eastbound trains – 17 out of Penn Station and 5 out of Atlantic Terminal.

The following trains from Penn Station will be canceled/combined:
• The 3:34 PM train from New York due Wantagh at 4:29 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 3:46 PM from New York to Babylon.
• The 4:22 PM train from New York due Port Washington at 4:58 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 4:25 PM from New York that normally ends in Great neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 4:34 PM train from New York due Babylon 5:39 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 4:37 PM from New York that normally ends in Wantagh but will continue to Babylon.
• The 4:43 PM train from New York due Port Washington at 5:21 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 4:46 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 4:57 PM train from New York due Wantagh 5:42 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:03 PM from New York that normally ends in Freeport but will continue to Wantagh.
• The 5:11 PM train from New York due Port Washington 5:47 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:14 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 5:20 PM train from New York due Long Beach at 6:11 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:26 PM from New York to Long Beach with a stop at Jamaica.
• The 5:19 PM train from New York due Wantagh 6:06 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:24 PM from New York that normally ends in Freeport but will continue to Wantagh.
• The 5:26 PM train from New York due Port Washington 6:04 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:29 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 5:50 PM train from New York due Great Neck at 6:19 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:56 PM from New York to Great Neck.
• The 5:40 PM train from New York due Seaford 6:30 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:47 PM from New York that normally ends in Freeport but will continue to Seaford.
• The 6:05 PM train from New York due Wantagh 6:51 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:10 PM from New York that normally ends in Freeport but will continue to Wantagh.
• The 6:11 PM train from New York due Port Washington 6:48 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:14 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck, but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 6:33 PM train from New York due Babylon 7:35 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:36 PM from New York that normally ends in Wantagh but will continue to Babylon.
• The 6:24 PM train from New York due Port Washington at 7:04 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:42 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 7:01 PM train from New York due Port Washington at 7:36 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 7:14 PM from New York that normally ends in Great Neck but will continue to Port Washington.
• The 6:30 PM train from New York due Huntington at 7:35 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:35 PM from New York that normally ends in Hicksville but will continue to Huntington.

The following trains from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn will be canceled/combined:
• The 4:39 PM from Flatbush Avenue due Babylon 5:52 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 4:57 PM from Flatbush Avenue to Babylon at 6:10 PM.
• The 4:31 PM from Flatbush Avenue due Far Rockaway 5:26 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 4:35 PM from Flatbush Avenue where they can change at Jamaica for another train to Far Rockaway.
• The 5:19 PM from Flatbush Avenue due Hempstead 6:09 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:24 PM from Flatbush Avenue and change at Jamaica for a train to Hempstead.
• The 5:40 PM from Flatbush Avenue due Long Beach 6:32 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:46 PM from Flatbush Avenue and change at Jamaica for a Long Beach train.
• The 5:29 PM from Flatbush Avenue due Huntington 6:28 PM will be canceled. Customers will be accommodated by the 5:36 PM from Flatbush Avenue and transfer at Jamaica for a train to Huntington.

Wednesday – Post Rush and Overnight, Feb. 10
The LIRR will be using temporary service suspensions for track clearing throughout the evening on Wednesday and overnight into Thursday. The LIRR expects to operate a modified train service on its primary branches after the evening rush hour and through the overnight for customers and LIRR employees.

Thursday – Morning Rush, Feb. 11
During the morning rush hour on Thursday, the LIRR's goal is to provide train service at regular intervals on our primary branches – Babylon, Ronkonkoma, Huntington, and Port Washington – to and from Penn Station; and train service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal.

Thursday – Evening Rush, Feb. 11
LIRR employees will be working as hard as possible to clear tracks of snow and restore service on the secondary branches, as part of the second stage of snow clearing, with the goal of providing regular interval service for the evening rush hour.

All throughout the storm, customers are advised to check on LIRR service before heading to train stations by monitoring the LIRR's website, listening to the latest news broadcast and/or signing up for our free E-Alerts at www.mta.info/lirr.

For additional information, customers can also contact the LIRR's 24-hour Travel Information Center in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR, or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center's TDD telephone number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022.

NYCT Press Release: Pelham 6 Line Station Rehab Project Enters Next Phase

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

MTA NYC Transit announces the next phase of a major $89 million construction project to reconstruct and rehabilitate five stations on the Pelham 6 line. They are Whitlock Avenue, Elder Avenue, Morrison Avenue-Soundview, St. Lawrence Avenue and Parkchester.

The first two stations to close for rehab are Whitlock Avenue and Morrison Avenue-Soundview. The stations will close beginning 5 a.m. Monday, February 8 and will remain closed until Monday, September 13, 2010. The rehab work at all five stations will include the complete replacement of the mezzanines, canopy roofs, track beds, platform edge safety tiles, and public address systems. The stations will also undergo an electrical upgrade and the installation of fluorescent lighting.

In order to accomplish this work within a safe environment, each station, with the exception of Parkchester, will be closed for seven months. At Parkchester, the northbound and southbound platforms will be closed separately for three months each.

Customers who usually use the Whitlock Avenue and Morrison Avenue-Soundview stations may take the Bx4, which operates along Westchester Avenue, to the Elder Avenue 6 station or the Simpson Street 25 station. The bus ride is free from these four stops on Westchester Avenue: Simpson Street 25, Whitlock Avenue 6, Elder Avenue 6, and Morison Avenue-Soundview 6. Please note that between 12:01 a.m. and 5 a.m., the Bx4 operates every 20 minutes and only at these four stops.

Station posters and "Take-One" brochures are available at Pelham 6 line stations. Customers may call our Travel Information Center at 718-330-1234 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, or log onto www.mta.info for more information.

MNR Press Release: See it First Hand—in Your Hand: Metro-North Train Time ™ Gives Real-Time Train Status On Smart Phones and Computers

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Since mid-January, when MTA Metro-North railroad launched its new service, Train Time, more than 71,000 "hits" show it's a real hit with customers. And live demonstrations are now going to hit the following stations:

Hastings on Tuesday, February 9th
Brewster on Tuesday, February 16th
Port Chester on Tuesday, February 23rd

From 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Metro-North Customer Service representatives will demonstrate how this convenient, real-time train status and schedule information is easily accessible via smart phones and computers.

They will show how, by using a web-enabled smart phone or computer, a customer can select a station from the user-friendly drop-down menu and simply click! So far, 67 stations across all three lines are on-line, including Grand Central and Harlem-125th Street, and more will be added this spring.

"This new service allows customers to check the status of train service in real time at their home stations or wherever they are traveling," said Metro-North President Howard Permut. "It gives people the freedom to plan a trip and get up-to-the-minute information to make necessary adjustments while they are out and about. We think it's a technology whose time has come."

Smart phones and computers will show whether a train is On Time, Late, Canceled or Delayed, including the number of minutes it is late, also what track it will arrive on and what stops it makes. So check out Train Time at mta.info.