Even though the storm, nor’easter, has come and gone, having brought its own problems to those who were battling Hurricane Sandy just a week ago, its effects are still being felt by travellers in the region.
The hurricane, which was not as strong or vicious as Hurricane Sandy, was still destructive enough to affect a population that had already been battered by the first storm. Travellers had to endure an arduous commute when Sandy struck, and had been experiencing major difficulties throughout the first full workweek. Those who endured the hurricane have been further subjected to hardships after the new storm made its presence felt. A wet, heavy climate, felled trees, dangling electric wires and hazardous conditions for motorists have severely affected travellers in the region.
The change in the weather had prompted the Port Authority to place speed limits of 35 mph on some of its New Jersey-New York crossings. Sections of the New Jersey Turnpike were reduced to 45 or 50 mph. The weather also meant that people abandoned their travel plans, preferring to stay indoors rather than venturing out.
Downed trees were slowing or blocking travel on Route 18 North in Neptune, Colts Neck and Marlboro, according to the state Department of Transportation, and travellers are being warned that they could encounter hazards along the way. For much of the time only essential traffic was allowed through, as the cities affected by the hurricane are slowly limping back to normality.
John Durso Jr, a spokesman for the statewide transit agency, said, ‘Crews worked throughout the night to clear snow and ice from NJ Transit properties for the morning commute. Some buses operating through Northwest New Jersey were subject to detours during the morning commute.’
The limited trains on the Northeast Corridor between Trenton and New York were fully packed, and the North Jersey Coast Line train service to New York was scrapped because of overcrowding on the platform.
