By Tiffany Williams –
Newark, NJ — NJ Transit announced that Light Rail, bus, and Access Link services will operate on a full weekday schedule on Wednesday, with train service running on a full weekday Portal Cutover schedule and cross-honoring customers traveling to New York City from Hoboken. Some trains have been rerouted to Hoboken, prompting many commuters to seek alternate ways into Manhattan as work on the Portal Bridge continues.
Meanwhile, Newark continues digging out from 27 inches of snow following Monday’s blizzard, a record-breaking total, Mayor Ras Baraka said. He noted that crews have cleared 80 percent of streets down to the blacktop, but work is ongoing as roads remain slushy and water could refreeze overnight. “It’s all about the bodies. So people are going. They need a rest. They have to stop them. Some people have to go home. We have to change shifts. We’ve been out here, a straight 48 hours, for the most part, you know, changing shifts and moving people back and forth,” Baraka said.
Drivers were advised to thoroughly clean off cars before temperatures drop and more weather approaches. The city’s cleanup effort is expected to cost $3 million, which will be covered by an emergency fund. Baraka described the difficulty of clearing compacted and frozen snow, saying, “That’s what we’re dealing with now. And people thought that it was snow back into the street. That snow was getting compacted and frozen because cars are driving over it.” Plowers noted that wet, packed mounds of snow and ice can clog equipment even after a first pass.
Across New Jersey, some areas report up to 30 inches of snow. Acting State Police Superintendent David Sirota said the State Emergency Operations Center remains at Level 2 activation and staffed around the clock, with search and rescue teams using high-wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles on standby. Governor Mikie Sherrill praised the response, saying, “Thousands of workers made an enormous effort. They pushed through a very dangerous night.”