MTA admits lack of communication during recent storm

Joe Nikic

Metropolitan Transit Authority officials admitted last Wednesday that the Long Island Rail Road’s communication with riders following Winter Storm Jonas fell short of expectations.

Fernando Ferrer, the MTA’s vice chairman, acknowledged the LIRR’s poor communication and said it would do better in the future, according to a report in Newsday.

“We could always do communication better,” Ferrer said at an MTA board meeting. “We’re looking at lessons learned that we could apply to how we move forward.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency during last Saturday’s storm, banning all travel on Long Island and New York City parkways and expressways at 2:30 p.m. and further suspended all mass transit service at 4 p.m.

The travel ban was then lifted at 7 a.m. the next morning, though LIRR service remained suspended.

Cuomo also said service on every LIRR branch would be restored by 5 a.m. last Monday morning.

But that time was pushed back to 7 a.m. due to ice and snow build up refreezing rail lines, the LIRR announced shortly after 5 a.m., when riders had already arrived at platforms anticipating restored service.

Service on the Babylon, Ronkonkoma and Huntington branches resumed around 6 a.m., the LIRR announced on Twitter, with service on the Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Montauk branches resuming at 7 a.m.

MTA spokesman Sal Arena said Port Washington-line service was supposed to resume that morning, but due to “weather-related” issues, they were not able to safely open up the line.

On Jan. 25, around 10:30 p.m., LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski announced all LIRR branch lines would resume regular service the next morning.

LIRR riders took to social media to voice frustration over the MTA’s lack of communication and updates.

According to Newsday, the LIRR Commuter Council said riders received conflicting service updates from train crews, station announcements and digital alerts.

Arena said the snow storm impacted more than just railroad tracks, with various aspects of the MTA’s system needing to be restored, causing the longer service delays.

“Once the snow is cleared, what you face typically is more snow that was blown back so you have to go back and do it again,” Arena said. “You also face equipment that is frozen, like switches for example. You face situations where ice has built up on the third rail and so trains are not able to draw the electricity they need. It’s a system-wide thing.”

He added that the MTA stored unused trains in a yard during snow-removal efforts, so after railways are dug out from the snow, trains need to be dug out as well to get them back in service.

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