Teams must clear drains, prepare equipment and be strategically located to respond quickly to flooding or other weather-related issues.
Watch the video on storm preparations for NYC transit
See photos of storm preparations for NYC transit
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is today updating riders on weather preparations ahead of severe storms forecast for the New York metropolitan area, bringing heavy rain and strong winds Thursday evening through Saturday morning.
MTA staff will be prepared to respond to any weather-related issues, including removing trees that may fall onto the tracks. The MTA encourages customers to avoid unnecessary trips and to stay informed of service updates by visiting new.mta.info, the MTA and TrainTime apps, or the MTA’s social media feeds.
New York subway
During heavy rain, NYC Transit focuses on minimizing impacts to operations by responding quickly and removing water.
NYC Transit has a fleet of emergency equipment, including emergency vehicles, standby pumpers, debris trains and pump trains, ready to respond at a moment’s notice to assist in flooding.
Before the storm, field personnel will check and clean drains and vents at flood-prone locations. In addition, personnel will be stationed at critical locations, including rail yards and shipyards, ready to deploy and respond if flooding occurs.
Buses in New York City
NYC Transit Department of Buses personnel will monitor routes for known flooding situations and prepare detours. Additional personnel will be on hand in the event of service disruptions or subway outages.
Roof drains on all bus facilities will be checked and ensured to be free of debris. All loose materials will be secured. Emergency generators will be checked and available in the event of a power outage.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels
Bridge and Tunnel crews are checking all flood-prone areas for debris and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the storm. Crews will also monitor wind conditions and may implement appropriate traffic or speed restrictions based on conditions.
Due to the forecast strong winds and rain, there will be a ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks (piggyback, double, triple, etc.) on the bridges effective Friday, August 9, from 7:00 p.m.
Based on the current forecast and overall timing of this weather event, this ban is expected to remain in effect until 7:00 a.m. Saturday, August 10.
These times are subject to change. Motorists can visit mta.info for the latest information on service changes. Customers can sign up for real-time email and text alerts from MTA Bridges and Tunnels here.
Maintenance crews will be on standby throughout the duration of the storm to respond to any incidents or emergencies.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad
MTA commuter railroads position their crews and diesel locomotives to minimize service disruptions.
Extra personnel will be deployed this afternoon and throughout the night to identify and quickly resolve potential track, signal and power issues due to flooding, washouts, downed trees and other potential storm damage. Personnel will inspect drainage areas and clear them as necessary, fortify key locations and look for trees that need to be removed and track structures that require attention.
Railway staff have the necessary equipment to respond quickly if necessary: chainsaws to clear fallen trees, pumps in the event of flooding and the ability to identify locations and availability of materials for replacing damaged power poles and railway barriers.
Railway companies have worked hard to proactively protect their infrastructure by, among other things, addressing problems in areas with poor drainage, improving vegetation management alongside tracks, and strengthening and replacing power poles.
Access-A-Ride
Paratransit Access-A-Ride will continue to operate and the Paratransit Command Center will monitor the storm to track and respond to any customer or service issues on the day.
Depending on the impact of the storm, travel time may be delayed. Customers are encouraged to follow AAR and MTA on social media to stay informed of storm updates.
