NYC Subway Havoc is coming back as heatwave, heavy rain to city | Today news

(Bloomberg) – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York is nodding under the tension of extreme weather, with stormy rain and swelling heat causing great service and riders for alternatives. On two separate days this week, a power failure at the West 4th Street metro station forced suspensions, releases and serious delays on various lines. This followed massive floods earlier this month that stopped service when water dumped into an overwhelming sewer system in stations. Thursday’s morning commuting was the latest episode. The western 4th breakdown has disrupted Metro lines for hours with delays stretching in the afternoon. Riders may not see any relief soon; Forecasters warn of the possible floods later Thursday night as another round of heavy rain approaches. New York governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Thursday before the expected storms. The power errors also urged Hochul to require MTA to conduct an analysis of the incidents of this week. “New Yorkers can’t wait years for more resilient service; I have instructed the MTA to undergo a complete overview of the week’s issues to prevent similar interruptions in the future,” Hochul said in a statement. While many of the American faces strengthen the weather, New York’s century-old transit network is particularly vulnerable. As the largest transit system in the US, the MTA serves about 6 million riders on weekdays, making every disruption more painful for commuters in the region. The fee to use the system will also rise in January with a single subway or bus ride to cost 10 cents more at $ 3 and monthly and weekly commuting train passes by 4.4%. Now riders should note changes in the weather, real-time announcements on transport services and show more patience, says Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the regional plan association, a non-profit civil group focusing on economic health and quality of life in the New York City region. “The transport that people use daily is one of the more visible effects of how climate change affects our daily lives and makes it more difficult and dangerous for us daily,” Slevin said. “It’s really an unpredictable moment.” The MTA is trying to tighten the system. It is $ 68.4 billion capital plan for 2025-2029 contains $ 700 million to flooding investment: installing ventilations, raising stairs, sealing of tunnels and upgrading pump rooms on more than a dozen sites. Another $ 4 billion was earmarked to repair and modernize the power stations, 40% of which in the subway is in a weak or marginal condition. Earlier this month, MTA employees worked during a rainstorm overnight to pump 15 million liters of water out of the subway system and restore the service in time for the morning commuting. But these efforts will not compensate for the outdated sewage infrastructure of the city, overflowing if there is more than half a half of rain within an hour, according to Janno Lieber, the CEO of the MTA. That excess water then runs in with subway stations. Lieber insists that city officials expand the capacity of the sewer system, a long -term and expensive solution. Add to the challenge, shrink street paving projects the space and limit how quickly water the drains can reach. “These are our partners in many, many areas, but it is one where we need a real change and a quick action,” Lieber said Wednesday during the MTA’s monthly council meeting. For riders, delays are a daily source of tension. Jayson Rodriguez, 19 of Harlem, sat on a stationary C train on Thursday morning, causing him to be more than 30 minutes late for work. “Sometimes before leaving my house, I have to put an hour ahead, just in case something happens,” he said as he browsed his phone to pass through the time. More stories like these are available on Bloomberg.com © 2025 Bloomberg LP