Local Buses Still Operating, But Changes Anticipated

As Rockland prepares for Hurricane Irene, county residents can still get around today on local buses.

TOR: Transport of Rockland is operating a normal Saturday schedule until further notice. Service changes are anticipated later in the day so check back with Patch for updaes.

TZx: The Tapan ZEExpress is operating a modified Saturday schedule. The last trip from Spring Valley to White Plains will be at 1:39 p.m. The last trip from White Plains to Spring Valley will be at 3:10 p.m. All other trips prior to these will follow a normal Saturday TZx schedule.

TRIPS: The paratransit system is operating a normal Saturday schedule until further notice

For the latest on all Rockland County bus services call 845-364-3333 or visit www.rocklandgov.com and click on the bus.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has moved to
close off all of its airports to incoming flights beginning at noon
today.

The Port Authority made the announcement Friday night as it
prepared for Hurricane Irene, but many airlines had already begun
canceling their flights for today and Sunday.

Many of the region’s mass-transit systems, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New Jersey Transit, had already moved to suspend serviced on Saturday in anticipation of the storm. The Port Authority worried that the suspended services would leave many people stranded inside their facilities.

Still, the airports remain open for departing flights. Check back with Patch.com for additional updates as they become
available.

Also:

• · 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