Tunnel Connecting Port Authority Bus Terminal, Times Square Station Reopens Amid Heightened Security
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Security remains tight at transit hubs, airports, bridges and tunnels following Monday's explosion in an underground walkway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
The passageway connecting the bus terminal and the Times Square subway station reopened Tuesday morning after an MTA crew cleaned the tunnel overnight.
Out of an abundance of caution, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for state police and the National Guard to look over soft targets like airports, train stations, bridges and tunnels.
He also said additional personnel were being deployed to "high-density areas and large public gatherings."
"I feel pretty safe," commuter Steve D'Auria said. "I have full confidence in the police department, all those other agencies."
"I will not be deterred by terrorism. The NYPD has got it on lockdown. We're good," another commuter said.
Police said the "terror-related" incident happened around 7:20 a.m. Monday when 27-year-old Akayed Ullah set off a pipe bomb in the underground passageway on West 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues.
Immediately, reinforcements were dispatched to other busy transit hubs with bomb sniffing dogs patrolling Grand Central Terminal, the Port Authority and Penn Station.
Riding the train on Tuesday, riders can expect to see heavily armed National Guardsmen, state police and NYPD Strategic and Critical Response teams keeping an eye out.
In addition to thousands of officers patrolling belowground, Mayor Bill de Blasio said "there's also 6 million New Yorkers riding it every day who should be the eyes and ears and partners of those police officers." De Blasio said citizens can be force multipliers in preventing further attacks.
De Blasio said incidents carried out by so-called lone wolves a painful reality, but isolated actors and he does not advocate any change in surveillance tactics.
"This is very unsettling for people when something like this happens and it's a painful, painful reality," de Blasio said. "I think the notion of going back to a broken approach to 'surveillance' would only make the situation worse."
The NYPD said Monday that "there are no other specific and credible threats" against the city at this time.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Monday that he also ordered additional security at mass transit hubs and said law enforcement assets in the Garden State are coordinating with their federal and New York partners.
On Long Island, the Suffolk County Police Department said Monday it would be beefing up security at transit facilities, including Long Island Rail Road stations, "out of an abundance of caution."
Despite the increase in police presence, some commuters are still unnerved.
"It's really tough to think about something like that," one woman told 1010 WINS' John Montone.
"There could be 100 police around, sometimes they're searching backpacks, but that doesn't mean they know everything that you are carrying on you," another commuter said.
"It's by biggest fear," said another man. "I think about it every day."
The NYPD asked anyone with information about Monday's incident to call the Terror Hotline at 888-NYC-SAFE.
