Scenes From a Commute Without Subways
With the NYC subway system knocked out indefinitely and service suspended on the LIRR, Metro-North, NJ Transit, and PATH systems, New Yorkers are gamely heading back to work today. MTA bus routes have resumed service, but across the board, their status is "Delayed." Early reports indicate that traffic is a disaster. It looks like HOV restrictions, busways, and bike/ped lanes can't come soon enough.
By
Ben Fried
10:07 AM EDT on October 31, 2012
With the NYC subway system knocked out indefinitely and service suspended on the LIRR, Metro-North, NJ Transit, and PATH systems, New Yorkers are gamely heading back to work today. MTA bus routes have resumed service, but across the board, their status is “Delayed.” Early reports indicate that traffic is a disaster. It looks like HOV restrictions, busways, and bike/ped lanes can’t come soon enough.
Here are a few images from NYC’s streets this morning, sent by readers and plucked from Twitter. Send in your photos of the commute without subways to tips@streetsblog.org.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Rampant Placard Abuse is Mucking Up This Bike Lane in Downtown Brooklyn
Illegally parked cars with government placards are filling up delivery zones and forcing trucks into the Schermerhorn Street bike lane, DOT said.
April 13, 2026
Mamdani Is Falling Short of New York City’s Greenway Dream
Advocates had hoped Mayor Mamdani would quickly adopt simple policies to improve how the city creates and maintains green infrastructure. He must get back on track, they say.
April 13, 2026
Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT
Two community boards want the job to go to the agency already in charge of the streets.
April 13, 2026
Monday’s Headlines: A Century of Days Edition
Frankly, there's nothing wrong with taking stock at various milestones, but the mayor's "100th Day" speech was really a look forward. Plus other news.
April 13, 2026
FIRST ON STREETSBLOG: Mamdani To Fully Fund Trash Containerization
The new mayor is restarting the Trash Revolution.
April 12, 2026




Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.