M.T.A. Chief Announces Storm Plan for Subways, Buses and Commuter Trains

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Saturday directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to begin planning for an “orderly suspension” of all subway, bus, and commuter rail service - a process that would begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday if a decision is made to shut down the system because of Hurricane Sandy.

The final decision will be made earlier in the day on Sunday, the governor's office said.

Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the authority, said at a news conference Saturday that the time required for a shutdown would mean that some “inconsistent service” could remain after 7 p.m. Suspending service on the subway system takes eight hours. The bus system requires six hours, so some vehicles could remain on their routes for as long as two hours after 7 p.m.

But Mr. Lhota urged New Yorkers to arrive at their given destinations by 7 p.m. on Sunday. “There's no guarantee of service after that,” he said.

The authority's h urricane plan calls for service suspensions if sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour or higher.

If service is suspended, the final trains for the authority's railroads, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road, would start at 7 p.m. Some service on the Long Island Rail Road could be suspended earlier on stretches of the system where crews have to remove gates at railroad crossings to prevent them from being damaged by winds.

Grand Central Terminal, including its shops and restaurants, would be closed for the duration of the suspension.

The authority's paratransit service, Access-A-Ride, would not accept trip requests at noon or later, and the authority's bridges will close to all traffic if winds exceed 60 miles per hour, Mr. Lhota said.

Patrick J. Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said at the news conference that operations were normal at the area's major airports on Saturday, but advised travelers to â €œcheck with your air carrier before going to any of J.F.K., La Guardia or Newark” - all of which are operated by the agency.

In August 2011, the transportation authority undertook an unprecedented shutdown of the subway system in advance of Tropical Storm Irene. The authority has submitted insurance claims to recover $65 million in losses resulting from that storm, which sent trees falling onto tracks of the commuter rails, flooded train yards, and led to millions of dollars in lost revenue as a result of the service suspension.