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With the
President's Day blizzard still pounding the New
York/New Jersey area, here are the current conditions
at the Port Authority's major transportation
facilities: Airports: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
Liberty International Airport all have massive
cancellations today. At LaGuardia, runways are
currently closed, and will remain closed indefinitely,
due to extremely low visibility and blowing snow.
Crews are continuing to plow runways, which will be
reopened when safe operation can be assured. Runways
at the other airports remain open, but most domestic
flights have been cancelled; a few other flights are
coming in or out, but are delayed. Customers are urged
to check with airlines about flight status before
heading to any of the airports. At all three airports,
Port Authority airport staff are providing cots and
blankets to passengers whose flights have been
cancelled, and are ensuring that food remains
available around the clock.
Bridges and Tunnels: At
the Port Authority crossings -- the Lincoln and
Holland Tunnels, the George Washington Bridge, and the
Port Authority's Staten Island Bridges -- there are no
delays, in spite of the heavy snow. Travel is slow,
however. Speed limits have been reduced to 25 mph on
the Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne
Bridge. Port Authority Bus Terminal: The Bus Terminal
is open, but all carriers have suspended service
indefinitely.
PATH: No delays
at this time. PATH is running only one service -
between Newark, Hoboken and 33rd Street.
The Port Authority has
an army of snow-fighting personnel and equipment
fighting the storm. During the blizzard, the safe
operation of all facilities remains our number one
concern. Extra staff are in place at all facilities,
working around the clock in 12-hour shifts. The Port
Authority has more than 200 pieces of heavy snow
equipment, thousands of tons of salt, sand and deicing
chemicals and a high-tech weather forecasting system
that helps ease airport delays. The airports, bridges,
tunnels and PATH have "snow desks" where key
personnel analyze weather reports and deploy staff and
equipment.
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