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New York City to shut down subway, buses in advance of Irene
As preparations continue along the East Coast for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, New York City officials said Friday they will shut down the city's entire public transportation system.
Meteorologists say Irene, the first major hurricane forecast to affect the East Coast of the United States in three years, could be a Category 1 storm by the time it reaches New York sometime on Sunday, carrying winds that could top 90 miles per hour.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which operates the New York subway, said this week that the system, one of the busiest public transportation systems in the world, could not operate with winds higher than 39 miles per hour.
With that in mind, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Friday the system would stop running Saturday at noon.
"Customers are advised to leave plenty of time for travel," the MTA said in a statement. "Don't take unnecessary chances and don't wait until the last minute to make sure that your family is safe and secure."
Washington, D.C.'s Metrorail, the second busiest subway system in the country, has said that it is also preparing for Irene, though the system has not announced plans to cancel any services yet.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which operates Metrorail and Metro buses in the District, said Thursday evening it was fortifying flood-prone train stations with sandbags and would have chainsaws ready to clear any downed trees.
The national passenger rail service, Amtrak, said Thursday it was canceling trains that operate south of Washington over the weekend in anticipation of the hurricane.
A number of airlines have also said they are canceling flights and allowing passengers to change reservations free of charge because of Irene.
—This post was updated with new information at 2:49 p.m.
