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MTA Suspends Above-Ground Subway Service, Commuter Lines As Snowstorm Intensifies
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 1, 2021
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Jake Offenhartz / Gothamist
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 1, 2021
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The MTA will stop running above-ground subway trains at 2 p.m. on Monday, with commuters rails to be closed shortly after, as a powerful nor'easter continues to wallop New York City.
As of 1 p.m., there were no plans to close underground subway service, according to Acting MTA President Sarah Feinberg. Buses are also running, but subject to suspensions. All Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH train service will be shuttered by 3 p.m., transit officials said.
A map of the MTA's "underground-only" service can be found here. Though even on active lines, the transit authority has cautioned New Yorkers to prepare for the likelihood of service interruptions and modifications.
Katrina Skovan, a Brooklyn resident, said she was nearly stranded at her Manhattan office due to the closure, but managed to get the last downtown Q train to Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. "I wish the MTA announced the outdoor closure early in the morning," she told Gothamist.
The winter storm has dropped close to a foot of snow on parts of the city, and is expected to continue throughout Monday evening. Both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo have issued emergency orders, urging people to stay inside and off the roads if they are not essential workers.
Cuomo has warned that the Long Island Expressway and Bronx River Parkway could potentially see road closures later on in the afternoon.
"Assume road closures, assume rail closings, assume subway reduced service," Cuomo said at a briefing on Monday. "I would assume the worst with this kind of storm, and then plan accordingly."
During the 2015 snowstorm, Cuomo ordered the entire subway system shut because of snow, a first in MTA history. While transit officials said there were no plans to shut down the system on Monday, they did not rule out the possibility of additional changes if conditions deteriorate.
"Even with our New York toughness and smartness and unity, it's still dangerous out there," Cuomo added.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the snow storm as a blizzard. Although National Weather Service meteorologist Dominic Ramunni said blizzard conditions were reported at times in the city, the storm did not meet the NWS's specific criteria for a blizzard classification, which requires three consecutive hours or more of visibility at a quarter of a mile or lower due to heavy or blowing snow, as well as frequent wind gusts of 35 mph or greater over the course of three consecutive hours.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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