NJ Transit will temporality suspend some services on Sunday as furious Winter Storm Fern threatens to bury the region under nearly 2 feet of snow and ice, officials announced ahead of the massive blizzard.
The transit authority will halt buses, light rail, and access link service systemwide starting at 4 a.m. Sunday to ensure the safety of all riders and employees, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said at a Newark press conference on Saturday.
However, rail service will continue to operate until 2 p.m. Sunday.
“We’ll communicate service levels for Monday as the storm impacts are assessed throughout the day on Sunday,” said Sherill, who declared a state of emergency across the Garden State.
“Again, this decision was based on the most recent forecast and made with public safety in mind.”
A commercial vehicle ban will also take effect at midnight, with roads limited to emergency traffic.
Officials said bus service could resume first after the storm, though timing will depend on the severity of the weather conditions.
“Stay off the roads on Sunday,” Sherrill stressed.
“Starting tonight, we are going to see dangerous conditions forming.”
A winter storm warning is in effect from 3 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday, with the National Weather Service warning of whiteout conditions and hazardous travel.
The massive snowstorm is expected strike South Jersey around 7 a.m., while other parts of the state could be slammed with up to 14 inches as the system moves north, the governor said.
Coastal regions may pick up about 6 inches of snow, with South and Central Jersey seeing 6 to 10 inches, and North Jersey bracing for 8 to 14 inches.
“We want to make sure that the residents of New Jersey are safe,” NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said.
“That’s our singular focus. Once we get through the storm, we will ramp up service as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives.”
Transit riders are encouraged to check njtransit.com for updates.
