MTA to Shut Down Metro-North, all Services, 12 Noon Saturday

If traveling to or from New York City was on your schedule for this weekend, you may have to rethink your plans as the MTA will shut down all service — including Metro-North lines — effective noon Saturday.

The decision was made at an emergency session of New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's Cabinet Friday morning at which they reviewed plans to protect New Yorkers and mitigate the potential effects of Hurricane Irene.

According to a press release issued by the Governor’s office, the following actions will be implemented immediately:

• The New York Army and Air National Guard will deploy up to 900 soldiers and airmen and over 100 vehicles to support civil authorities; those troops have already begun to report
• The Metropolitan Transit Authority will institute a system-wide shut-down when trains and buses begin their final runs starting at approximately noon on Saturday; the shut-down will include subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Access-A-Ride
• If sustained wind speeds exceed 60 mph, all of the following bridges will be closed to all traffic: George Washington Bridge, Tappan Zee bridge, all bridges operated by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and the following Hudson River bridges: Bear Mountain Bridge, Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson (Poughkeepsie), Kingston-Rhinecliff, and Rip Van Winkle (Catskill)
• The New York State Thruway and possibly other major highways will also be closed if sustained wind speeds exceed 60 mph; further closings will be announced as the storm progresses
· LIPA will have 2,500 line workers and tree trim personnel available throughout the weekend for emergency repair work, its largest emergency roster ever
• 175 extra ambulances and personnel will be deployed in regions expected to be hit the hardest by the storm

"We have moved quickly to initiate our emergency plans, to work with our federal and local partners, and to identify, prepare, and put into place one of the most aggressive activations of New York State government ever assembled in the face of a possible natural disaster," Governor Cuomo said. "We are fully committed and we are preparing for the worst."