What to Know
- Gov. Cuomo says careful planning has helped prevent the predicted commuter gridlock that prompted him to dub this the "summer of hell"
- Amtrak is making extensive repairs to tracks and signals in Penn Station, which it owns and operates
- Park-and-ride service was being so underutilized by LIRR riders that the MTA plans to scale it back, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said
Gov. Cuomo says careful planning has helped to prevent the predicted commuter gridlock that prompted him to dub this the "summer of hell."
At an event in Schenectady on Tuesday Cuomo said "the reports are all good."
Several hundred thousand commuters on the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit are facing fewer trains during peak periods, the result of track closures in Penn Station.
Amtrak on Monday started extensive repairs at the nation's business train station following recent derailments and other problems that spotlighted the station's aging infrastructure.
So far, there have been no major problems.
The work is scheduled to last through the end of August.
On Day 1, there was some confusion, a bit of overcrowding and slow going at times, but no real debacles. Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman said Monday he was afraid people might get complacent after a relatively smooth first day for commuters. But 24 hours after the start of the project, all appeared okay -- for now.
Apart from some minor LIRR delays related to equipment trouble, transit Twitter accounts were pretty quiet Tuesday, the second rush since Amtrak started its dreaded overhaul of Penn.
Meanwhile, park-and-ride service was being so underutilized by LIRR riders that the MTA plans to scale it back, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said.
