NJ Transit and PATH are planning on running regular rail and bus service Thursday as long as conditions allow, while NJ Turnpike officials said crews are on the highest level of alert for a storm that could dump up to 12 inches of snow bears down on the state.
Officials at all transportation agencies prepared Wednesday for the storm which will affect the morning commute. The state Department of Transportation and New Jersey Turnpike Authority pre-treated some roads Wednesday and mobilized plow crews and contractors.
“We’re at the highest (alert) level up and down both roadways. That means all hands on deck, all NJTA snow personnel and all contractor personnel,” said Thomas Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority which also runs the Garden State Parkway. “That’s about 2,400 people in all. We’ll have about 1,100 plows and spreaders on the job.”
White lines of brine on the Garden State Parkway south in Union County. Road crews are on full alert for Thursday’s snow storm.Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
DOT crews spent Wednesday treating roads in North and Central Jersey with brine. The precipitation is expected to start as snow, said Stephen Schapiro, a DOT spokesman. Brining was not done in South Jersey where the storm is expected to start as rain, which would wash the solution off roads, he said.
“NJDOT is prepared for this storm. We have nearly 2,500 salt spreaders and plows available between NJDOT equipment and what we augment with contractors,” Schapiro said.
Despite that, drivers should expect poor visibility, gusting winds and a very high rate of snowfall during the morning commute, he said.
Forecasters are expecting snow to be falling as intensely as 2 inches per hour during the heart of the morning rush hour as a potent storm system brings the region its first significant snowfall since early January.
Forecasters said wind gusts as high as 35 mph to 40 mph and heavy pockets of snow could make it tough for drivers to see at times. In addition, as temperatures drop as the day progresses, any melting snow or rain could freeze into ice.
“When it falls that fast, snow could very well accumulate on the pavement between passes by the plows,” Feeney said. “Everyone should consider their options carefully before deciding to venture out.”
How much snow will fall in your yard?
Anyone who does drive Thursday, should slow down, leave extra distance between other vehicles and give plows room to work, by not passing or following too close, Schapiro said.
“If you have to be out, drive with caution and give road crews plenty of room to do their job safely,” said Tracy Noble, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman. “For everyone’s safety on the roads, drivers should allow plenty of extra time to properly clean off their vehicle before getting behind the wheel.”
While mass transit agencies are planning to run on a regular weekday schedule, NJ Transit and Port Authority officials advised commuters to check agency alerts for changes due to the weather. NJ Transit will cross honor tickets between buses, trains and light rail systems starting at 4 a.m., Thursday. Air travelers should check with their airline for cancelled flights before going to airports.
NJ Transit riders should sign up for transit alerts on NJTransit.com. Drivers also can sign up for customized alerts at the www.511nj.org website and register for customized alerts for the highway they travel. The Turnpike Authority also offers the SafeTripNJ app, which provides audio real time traffic alerts on smartphones.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
