DRIVER RESTRICTIONS WILL ENFORCE 3-PLUS PERSONS OVER BRIDGES, TUNNELS
Tomorrow trains and buses will resume on a limited basis into New York City. At the same time, drivers will need to have three or more people in their cars during rush hour for vehicles traveling into the city over bridges and through tunnels. The only current exception will be the George Washington Bridge.
First and foremost, the PATH trains into and out of the city to points in New Jersey is cancelled until further notice. No date has been set for reinstatement. Commuters bound for New York can use the Spanish buses that normally troll from street to street, to get into the city, but those buses will suffer serious delays and overcrowding.
Among the train lines that will be operating traveling north are the Harlem Line, which will stop in White Plains. (See service schedule, every hour.)
The Amtrak service from New York City to points north will be cancelled, which includes The Adirondack, the Empire Service, and the Ethan Allen Express service (see bulletin.) There will be limited service on Amtrak trains nationwide. You can also consult their travel advisories on their main Amtrak website.
If you are traveling to and from Long Island, the only lines operating are either within the city limits, and the Port Washington and Ronkonkoma lines, both of which have service changes.
All of the other Long Island lines are suspended until further notice.
All of the bridges operated by MTA Bridges & Tunnels are open to traffic. The Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels remain closed after suffering extensive flooding.
There will also be express bus service from Midtown Manhattan to Brooklyn, which can be obtained by looking at the bus maps and consulting the bus travel changes. Our advice is to go to the main train stations and ask around!
“While both limited rail and subway service is being restored on a line by line and branch by branch basis, the work to restore full service on the commuter rail and subway network is ongoing,” writes the MTA on their website.
To see the subway hurricane recovery map, click here.
There will be a 3 PERSON MINIMUM for all cars coming into the city on most tunnels and bridges, the only exception we are aware of is the George Washington Bridge.
A tip from someone in the know: stand at the bus stop, and you will be picked up by drivers for free, and taken to the George Washington Bridge bus station. The pick up only works however, from New Jersey to New York City, and not the other way because bringing passengers reduces the cost of the toll from $12 to about $2.
Below is the advisory from the city. Though the advisory does not include mention of the PANYNJ bridges and tunnels, all entries into Manhattan with the exception of the GWB will require 3 persons or more.
MTA’s RFK Triborough Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Henry Hudson Bridge are also Restricted to Vehicles Occupied by Three or More People
Alternate Side Parking suspended Tomorrow and Friday, Parking Meters Reinstated
Access to the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and Ed Koch-Queensboro bridges will be limited to vehicles with three or more people only in the Manhattan-bound direction between 6 a.m. and midnight on Thursday, Nov. 1st and Friday, Nov. 2nd.
Exceptions will be provided for buses, authorized emergency vehicles, paratransit and commercial vehicles during these times and for yellow taxis after 4 p.m.
The lower level of the Manhattan Bridge will be reserved for two-way bus travel Thursday and Friday and DOT will also establish bus-priority lanes on key corridors in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Additional travel and parking regulations may be implemented as conditions require.
