Rain Leaks Into Rockefeller Center Station, Riders Call On MTA To Invest In Subway Station Upgrades
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- From service interruptions on the Staten Island Railway, to water leaking into a Manhattan subway station, Tuesday's nor'easter caused plenty of headaches for commuters.
As CBS2's John Dias reported, it wasn't as bad as when Ida hit, but many were still complaining about leaks. Some wondered what more must happened for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to start fixing stations.
Dias found water leaking into the Rockefeller Center subway station and puddling on the tracks. Many said it's a hazard, and seeing it makes them want to walk or take a cab.
The Staten Island Railway was suspended for nearly three hours between Huguenot and Tottenville in both directions because of flooding.
Many commuters wondered if the MTA learned from when Ida wreaked havoc, saying the agency needs to invest now in upgrades.
"It's terrible. I can tell," one rider told Dias.
"They've got to invest money, for sure. You can just look at it, at every aspect of it," another rider said.
"They have enough money. The money they have to fix the system," said Hunts Point resident Marjorie Mills. "It's dangerous. I feel like it's dangerous."
The interim president of New York City Transit said overall subways moved smoothly Tuesday.
"As of now, we have not seen any weather-related service delays in the subway system," Craig Cipriano said Tuesday morning.
When asked about upgrading systems, he dodged the question.
"We've done a lot of prep, especially after Ida, where we've taken a look at all our flood prone stations. We've been out there the last 48 hours clearing drains, cleaning drains, putting plywood on top of vent grates," he replied. "We did have some weather-related localized flooding, but our drains were able to take up that water, and our personnel, which we have hundreds throughout the system, were able to clean that."
He added the agency had not received any reports about the water at Rockefeller Center station.
Despite the flooding concerns, Mayor Bill de Blasio insisted mass transit is the safest and best way to get around during the nor'easter.