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MTA meets challenge of first snowfall of 2022

January 7, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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A winter storm that had already blanketed parts of the South moved into the Northeast on Friday, but in New York City, the MTA was ready.

The transit agency took a range of measures to deliver safe service for the Friday morning commute during the first snowfall of 2022. MTA personnel made preparations prior to and during the snowfall to keep the system safe for customers. 

Precautionary measures included salting platforms and stairs at stations, chaining articulated buses and keeping track switches and third rails clear of snow. MTA Bridges and Tunnels ensured roadways were clear for customers who had to travel this morning.    

The Authority announced its preparations on Thursday, which included Metro-North Railroad operating on a Saturday schedule with additional trains during the morning and evening peak periods. MTA New York City Transit and Long Island Rail Road operated on regular weekday schedules with minimal delays.

An MTA employee looks down the track at the Smith-9th Streets station on the F and G lines. MTA photo by Marc Hermann

“Children need to be in school. We don’t have any more days to waste” after the many closures and remote-learning days of the pandemic, said New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat dealing with his first major storm after taking office Saturday.

By mid-afternoon, airlines had scrubbed more than 2,600 flights, with the largest numbers at airports in Boston and the New York City area, according to tracking service FlightAware.

The National Weather Service said 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) of snow fell on New York City’s Central Park.

Snowfall totals were much more modest in northern New England, with about 4.5 inches (11 centimeters) in Nashua, New Hampshire, and about 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) in Hollis, Maine, by late morning.

Airlines have struggled with staffing shortages caused by an increase in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

By the time the storm started to wind down Friday afternoon, and the sun broke through in some areas, some spots in New England had received a foot (30 centimeters) or more of snow, including more than 13 inches (33 centimeters) inches in Danielson, Connecticut; 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) in Westwood, Massachusetts; and 12 inches (30 centimeters) in Burrillville, Rhode Island, according to unofficial observations reported by the National Weather Service.

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