MTA NYC Latest News & Subway, Bus Updates - Nov. 2, 2012: Mass Transit Slowly Coming Back

Several days after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, New York City's public transportation city is still feeling the effects.

Yesterday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said that New Yorkers can expect "enhanced service" on Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and the NYC Subway today. All commuter rail, bus and subway service is fare free until midnight. Access-A-Ride service is also fare free and operating regular service, both advanced reservation and subscription will be delivered, with the exception of areas in Zone A, including the Rockaways, City Island, Lower Manhattan and Staten Island.

On the LIRR, hourly service from Babylon and Huntington to Penn Station will be restored. On Metro-North, service between Croton-Harmon and Grand Central Terminal on the Hudson Line will operate on a regular weekday schedule; service will resume between New Haven and Stamford/Grand Central Terminal by midday; and Full service between Southeast and Grand Central Terminal will be restored tomorrow morning.

Buses are operating near normal service and will be curtailed at dusk in the areas of the city where power is still out. The Brooklyn bus bridge will continue to run past midnight.

CLICK HERE FOR Brooklyn - Manhattan Shuttle Bus Stops

CLICK HERE FOR Subway Service Nov. 2, 2012

"More work needs to be done to restore normal rail and subway service, work that will take several weeks in some areas to fully complete," the MTA said. "Downed trees and wires are still being removed from tracks of both the Long Island and Metro-North Railroad. Crews must repair washed out sections of track, and pump water out of several under river subway tunnels and at both the Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown tunnels. We are working around the clock, and appreciate your patience."

Yesterday, Cuomo sent a letter to the CEOs of New York State utiility companies saying that he would take appropriate action against those utilities and their management if they do not meet their obligations to New Yorkers in this time of crisis.

"If you failed to prepare, however, as evidenced by your response, it is a failure to keep your part of the bargain - a failure to keep the trust that New Yorkers have placed in you by granting you the privilege to conduct utility business in New York State; in particular, the certificates of public convenience and necessity ("Certificate") granted by the State under the Public Service Law," Cuomo wrote. "New Yorkers should not suffer because electric utilities did not reasonably prepare for this eventuality. In the context of the ongoing emergency, such a failure constitutes a breach of the public trust."