NYC to offer commuters free rides in Sandy's wake
People wait for buses on 6th Avenue in New York on October 31, 2012, as New Yorkers cope with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. / Getty Images
NEW YORK New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the agency that runs New York City's subways, buses and commuter rails is waiving fares on Thursday and Friday to help ease recovery from the superstorm.
Cuomo said Wednesday the Metropolitan Transportation Authority fare waivers are to encourage people to use mass transit instead of driving into the city.
Limited subway service (PDF map) is expected to start on Thursday. City buses are running, and limited commuter rail service has started.
Superstorm floods New York City
NYC transit system coming back - slowly
Before-and-after views of Sandy destruction
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also announced Wednesday that, starting at 6 a.m. Thursday, only cars with at least 3 passengers will be allowed to enter the city.
Manhattan was mostly empty on Tuesday, but Wednesday it seemed a lot of folks decided the emergency was over and they came pouring into town.
Without the usual trains and subways, there was brutal gridlock on the roads.
Some of the rail service is returning. Joe Leader, the man who oversees maintenance for the Metropolitan Transit Authority took CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod down for a look at the hardest-hit of all 468 New York City subway stations - South Ferry at the southern tip of Manhattan.
"We had barricaded up top with wood, plywood and sandbags to keep the water out, but when the surge came it brought down all this material that doesn't belong here -- large pieces of lumber and that broke through the barrier and allowed more water to come in," Leader said.
Even Wednesday, there was water just a few steps down from the tops of the steps, but the tracks are another two levels underneath that.
It will take a week alone just to pump out the water.
Limited mass transit has left city streets choked with cars -- a telling sign of just how badly the city needs to ease the stress on the roads.
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- a handicapp women waited in on a gas line for 8 hours to waiting for the gas station to receive the oil BP gas station on the corner of atlantic ave & Brooklyn avenue in Brooklyn. She was the first in line when the oil was delivery a policeman informed this handicap women that she need to go the end of the line. Is this justice. I feel that the officers in the black community are taken advantage of the people and cause the massive disruption at these long line, they are not servicing the community. image a handicapp women line for 8hours in the cold. Is this JUSTICE.
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