MTA? Probably Not Going Your Way Today

If you tried to wait for a bus on Monday, you probably either ended up walking or gave up and went back home. You probably didn’t get a train either, since all the lines in our area are either operating on elevated lines or in open cuts. The open cuts are even more difficult to clear than the elevated lines which will probably have service restored quicker.

Below is the current announcement on the MTA Website:

Due to the unprecedented severity of this storm, there continue to be major disruptions across our system to both subway and bus service. While there has been a resumption of some subway services, major portions of the system are still in the process of being restored, especially those lines that operate along tracks at grade or “open cut”. F Line service is now continuing to Stillwell Avenue and Flushing Line service is running between Times Square and Main Street. Service on the Staten Island Railway is suspended until further notice.

Limited-stop bus service remains suspended. All local buses are making every stop, but are running with delays due to hazardous road conditions and express service is operating but with delays. However, there are still many streets that are too difficult to navigate, which has resulted in suspensions of some routes and or route segments. Remember, if you don’t have to travel, don’t. If you do, please check the Current Service Status on www.mta.info.

The local buses statement, however, does not apply to Southern Brooklyn because a dispatcher reported that most if not all of Brooklyn bus routes are suspended for the night because 70 percent of the Brooklyn fleet is stuck on city streets.

Service should resume later today as the streets are plowed but with major delays. If you need a train, your best bet would be to take the B44 to the IRT or a crosstown bus to the F Line. Check the MTA website before heading to find out if Brighton service has resumed. Judging from past major storms, I am predicting Brighton service will resume by the evening rush hour or as late as Wednesday morning.

The writer, Allan Rosen, is a Manhattan Beach resident and former Director of MTA/NYC Transit Bus Planning (1981). For a complete list of his contributions to Sheepshead Bites, which includes many articles about the bus cuts, MTA and DOT, click here.