Officials Warn Against Travel In Wake Of Snowstorm; Delays, Cancellations On Mass Transit
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The unseasonal snowstorm that hit the Northeast has caused some serious travel issues.
Transportation officials are advising against any unnecessary travel Sunday because of unsafe driving conditions.
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Officials say safety concerns go beyond falling snow.
"No wire is considered a dead wire because of generators that may have started, every wire is considered extremely dangerous," said Ridgefield selectman Di Masters.
Speed limits were reduced on bridges between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Several cars crashed in North Babylon on Route 231. The pileup happened around 5 a.m. Sunday involving six vehicles, including an ambulance and two taxis. Several people were injured.
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NJ TRANSIT has suspended service on the Morris, Essex, Gladstone Branch and Montclair lines Sunday due to fallen trees and power lines on the tracks. System wide cross honoring of tickets is in effect.
On Metro-North, the Upper Harlem Line service is suspended from North White Plains to Wassaic because of downed trees.
Amtrak has suspended service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa.
The storm disrupted travel along the Eastern Seaboard. Philadelphia International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport all had hours long delays Saturday.
Dozens of passengers were stranded on a JetBlue flight for more than seven hours in Connecticut.
JetBlue flight 504 returning from Florida was about to land at Newark Saturday afternoon when it was detoured to Bradley International Airport.
Once there, the passengers were stuck on the tarmac with no food, water or even working bathrooms for hours.
One passenger calling from the plane expressed her frustration.
"They're filled, they're totally filled. Nobody can go in them anymore," the passenger said of the plane's bathrooms. "You just have to hold it."
"It's ridiculous," said Roseann Kozma, a woman from Ft. Lauderdale. "This airport is just leaving us here and not doing anything about it."
Passengers were finally allowed to get off the plane at around 9 p.m. JetBlue apologized for the incident.
The flight was one of nearly two dozens to be diverted to Connecticut.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
