Blizzard Aftermath Stalls Commuters, Travelers
NEW YORK (
) -- Many travelers and commuters along the East Coast are experiencing major delays in the aftermath of the winter snowstorm. Blizzard conditions caused several airlines to cancel and delay flights while some airports were forced to shut down operations completely.
New York's John F. Kennedy, Newark and LaGuardia airports shut down on Sunday after the region was hit with up to 15 inches of snow. LaGuardia reopened at 4 p.m. on Monday, while JFK and Newark remained closed until 6 p.m., according to the FAA Web site. JFK is currently experiencing delays averaging 5 hours and 5 minutes.
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>> Blizzard of 2010 in Pictures: Travel Delays
Airport crews have been working around the clock to remove the snow from the runways at all of the major airports along the coast. While the snowfall has subsided, strong wind gusts and drifting conditions continue to hinder removal efforts by blowing snow back onto the tarmacs.
Jet Blue
(JBLU) - Get Report
,
US Airways
(LCC)
,
Delta Airlines
(DAL) - Get Report
and
Southwest Airlines
(LUV) - Get Report
are still reporting some major delays as airports try to make up for the canceled flights.
Most airlines have offered to waive flight-change fees for its customers traveling to, from or through the affected cities during the blizzard dates.
Airlines aren't the only form of transportation that has been affected by the snowstorm. The commute into New York City has been rough for many workers these past two days, as the Metro North rail system restored limited service this morning after shutting down yesterday.
Limited service on Metro North Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines has been restored, while the MTA is offering restricted service on several rail and subway lines for the morning rush hour.
MTA crews are still working to clear up to two feet of snow from the tracks and switches. The Harlem Line will be running on a Saturday schedule this morning. Bee-Line buses and Paratransit vehicles will operate on regular schedule, except for Routes 8, 30 and 32, which are running on standard snow detours.
Today limited service has been restored on the Long Island Railroad as most of its trains will be operating hourly. Off-peak fares will be in effect today and New York City Transit will honor LIRR fares from certain stops including Hunterspoint Avenue, Long Island City, Atlantic Avenue Terminal, Jamaica and Penn Station.
Commuters from the New Jersey area were unable to take the train into the city early Monday morning as services were temporarily suspended due to inclement weather. Today, all rail service is operating on the enhanced weekend schedule on all other lines except the Atlantic City rail line service, which will follow a regular weekday schedule, due to "continued severe weather conditions and anticipated low ridership," NJ Transit said on its Web site.
New Jersey transit bus service was restored at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. NJ Transit says that bus customers should expect possible delays based on local road conditions and allow extra travel time.
-- Written by Theresa McCabe in Boston.
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