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Hurricane Sandy: Before and After the Storm: Subway service


Harry

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[float=left]post-5097-0-21521700-1351442044_thumb.jpg[/float]The MTA has been directed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to begin an orderly shutdown and suspension of all subway, bus and commuter railroad service at 7 p.m. Sunday. The decision was made to protect customers, employees and equipment from the wrath of Hurricane Sandy as the strong storm continues its march up the east coast.

 

MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota announced that service on NYC Transit subways will be curtailed beginning at 7 p.m., and the bus network within the following two hours. Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will start their final trains by 7 p.m. from terminal locations. Subway and rail road stations will be closed after the last trains pass through stations. Outbound Access-A-Ride trips are being scheduled only until 12 p.m. today, and return trips will continue until 5 p.m. Any previously scheduled trips after that time, including subscription trips, are canceled.

 

Customers are advised to adjust their plans and travel early in the day as possible and not wait until the last train or bus. Anyone who does not leave for their destination before 7 p.m. runs the risk of being stranded when service is suspended.

 

The MTA Hurricane Plan calls for suspending service hours before the approach of winds of 39 mph and higher. That gives MTA crews time to prepare rail and subway cars, buses, tunnels, yards and buildings for the storm, then return to safety. Winds of 39 mph and higher are predicted to reach the metropolitan region during the predawn hours Monday.

 

The MTA has been preparing to suspend service for days by readying recovery equipment, clearing drainage areas, moving vehicles from low-lying areas at bus depots and rail yards and sealing some tunnel access points.

 

The duration of the service suspension is unknown, and there is no timetable for restoration. Service will be restored only when it is safe to do so, after careful inspections of all equipment and tracks. Even with minimal damage this is expected to be a lengthy process.

 

Customers and the media should monitor this website or call 511 for the most current service information.

 

Read more: Source

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The Washington DC subway will still run underground service (on 40 minute headways) during major weather events. I'm not sure why the MTA couldn't run extremely limited service (such as the R train the full route, the C train the full route, and the D train 205th-34th) on extended headways during a severe storm, so that there is at least some service, even if trains arrive every 30 or 40 minutes. The express tracks would still be available for layups. And people would have some service if they absolutely needed to get somewhere, rather than risk injury by walking long distances in the weather if there were an emergency.

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^This would still cause a large number of lates/absences at schools and in the offices.. most people would rather just call sick instead of fighting the elements and potentially massive delays just to get to school/work..

 

 

A huge factor that unlike August '11 (Irene) is that schools/colleges are now open. the peak of the storm is supposed to be Tuesday Morning.

IMO if the bulleyes area is near NYC, I am sure schools will be closed Tuesday. Also dont be suprised to see LIRR/Metro North shutdown from Monday Night as well.

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Personally, I just don't see the idea of shutting down the entire system being justified...

Was it shut down when we had Hurricane Gloria in 1985? Hurricane Agnes in 1972? If it wasn't even shut down during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 or the New England hurricane of 1938, why should it be shut down now? Oh, wait, now I know: they're afraid of a repeat of the 2010 blizzard fiasco. Fools don't want anyone suing, but honestly, shutting the whole thing down is an overreaction, and it's sad to see what direction things have gone in over the years.

Now that I have this out of my system, let me just shut down the sidewalk in front of my non-existent house just in case anybody should slip during the rainstorm and litigate...

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You're forgetting one factor, Storm Surge.

 

If low lying areas get flooded, by by subway serivce. why run the risk of having to get stuck trains out.

 

That is true. I remember seeing footage of rain from (I think) Floyd flooding the 14th Street station on the 7th Avenue line in 1999. They don't want to risk a repeat of that scenario.

 

That said, the old timers will point out that Hurricane Gloria came through as a Category 2 storm in 1985 over Long Island and didn't cause too many problems. Of course, we didn't have the kind of ambulance-chasing injury lawyers back then we do today either.

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Even as the MTA may or may not shut down the entire system, as we all know there are areas of this vast system very prone to severe flooding in the case of hurricanes or other problems in the case of severe blizzards. Such as the CPW on the IND and specific stations throughout the system in general.

 

As a side point, during the most severe blizzards in recent memory we saw the MTA shut down pretty much the entire BMT South Brooklyn division.

 

Generally we all know that anywhere where the water table is high with inadequate drainage provisions in the tunnels prepare for flooding resulting in severe delays, diversions and shutdowns of entire lines. (Even though in the case of the CPW the flooding that occured with Irene, I'm thinking that was more due to structural features that failed during the storm rather then the water table in that area of that ROW, but dont quote me on this)

 

To add: For those going to school, the DOE may shut down all public schools during this storm, as a heads up. Possibly Monday and Tuesday which is why I'm bringing this up. It's currently still being discussed (as SB mentioned earlier, as I just realized rereading the posts.)

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Apparently SEPTA expects to keep its Market-Frankford and Broad Street subways operating, however most bus and rail lines may indeed be shut completely down. From past hard lessons learned by SEPTA most likely Lansdale/Doylestown, West Trenton, Warminster, Chestnut Hill West, Norristown and Cynwyd. However It would be interesting to see how these two subway lines can hold up under the threat of flooding.

 

.... As a clue as we wait and see what the desision the MTA finally makes in preparation for this storm.

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Apparently SEPTA expects to keep its Market-Frankford and Broad Street subways operating, however most bus and rail lines may indeed be shut completely down. From past hard lessons learned by SEPTA most likely Lansdale/Doylestown, West Trenton, Warminster, Chestnut Hill West, Norristown and Cynwyd. However It would be interesting to see how these two subway lines can hold up under the threat of flooding.

 

.... As a clue as we wait and see what the desision the MTA finally makes in preparation for this storm.

 

 

 

If anything the elevated section will be shutdown while the underground section are still in service.

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With models showing that the rain could stay for days, could we looking at a multiple day suspension? After that it would take several hours-several days to fix damaged equipment, pump water off, prep trains, etc. So far, I haven't gotten any message from my boss about working on Monday (it will come soon though) but if this multiple day subway suspension does happen, school and work will probably be cancelled for at least the first 2-3 days of this week..

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Even as the MTA may or may not shut down the entire system, as we all know there are areas of this vast system very prone to severe flooding in the case of hurricanes or other problems in the case of severe blizzards. Such as the CPW on the IND and specific stations throughout the system in general.

 

As a side point, during the most severe blizzards in recent memory we saw the MTA shut down pretty much the entire BMT South Brooklyn division.

 

Generally we all know that anywhere where the water table is high with inadequate drainage provisions in the tunnels prepare for flooding resulting in severe delays, diversions and shutdowns of entire lines. (Even though in the case of the CPW the flooding that occured with Irene, I'm thinking that was more due to structural features that failed during the storm rather then the water table in that area of that ROW, but dont quote me on this)

 

To add: For those going to school, the DOE may shut down all public schools during this storm, as a heads up. Possibly Monday and Tuesday which is why I'm bringing this up. It's currently still being discussed (as SB mentioned earlier, as I just realized rereading the posts.)

 

 

 

If the schools and much of NYC is pretty much closed (lets not forget "Wall St" as well)for Monday and Tuesday a decision has to be made by Mayor Bloomberg and others by no later than tonight (10/27) or Sunday Morning at the lastest.

 

While NYC was spared with "Irene" not sure if folks in flood prone areas such as City Island, The Rockaways, Sea Gate/Coney Island/Brighton Beach and almost all of Staten Island will listen to mandotary evucations.

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If the schools and much of NYC is pretty much closed (lets not forget "Wall St" as well)for Monday and Tuesday a decision has to be made by Mayor Bloomberg and others by no later than tonight (10/27) or Sunday Morning at the lastest.

 

While NYC was spared with "Irene" not sure if folks in flood prone areas such as City Island, The Rockaways, Sea Gate/Coney Island/Brighton Beach and almost all of Staten Island will listen to mandotary evucations.

 

 

I can tell you from experience that 85-90% of the people in Brighton Beach didn't even budge when they where supposed to be "evacuating" and most will not budge if told to evacuate during this one. As i read on an Article, at most, the storm can bring in a 4-6 foot storm surge in the event of the eye being directly over NYC/long island. So It's not like the street will be completely underwater. If i recall Hurricane Irene brought in 3.5-4 feet of water and the tide around Brighton beach didn't even reach the boardwalk. That's why most people just shrug of the warning to evacuate and wait it out.

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I will be in Times Square until 9pm Sunday. Do you think there will still be *any* Brooklyn-bound service at that time if a shutdown starts between 7pm and 3am? A 5 mile walk would be better than a 10 mile walk, so I won't be picky about which train I take to anywhere near Bay Ridge.

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