Seeking Return to Normalcy, New Yorkers Struggle to Get to Work

Three days after superstorm Sandy struck New York, the city's public transit system, which 31.1% of commuters in the greater metro area utilize daily, is crawling back to life. Matt Flegenheimer and John Leland provide an update on the recovery of the regional transportation system, as New Yorkers seek a return to some modicum of normalcy.

"[W]ith the return of some services on Thursday," write Flegenheimer and Leland, "commuters were hopeful they would experience less of what they encountered on Wednesday, when bus rides were free but still unappealing as they grew overstuffed with passengers and often bypassed waiting commuters, unable to take on more."

"Still, navigating transportation on the streets seemed to require the most diplomacy and luck as commuters adjusted to new rhythms of supply and demand...The effects of the storm will take time to unwind, with crawling traffic, half-mile lines at suburban gas stations and city buses stuffed beyond capacity."

For constant updates on the status of the region's transportation network, Transportation Nation's Transit Tracker is a great resource.