Because of the blizzard, NJ Transit has announced it will suspend bus service systemwide at 8:30 tonight.

Here is NJT’s full announcement:

NJ TRANSIT bus service will be suspended systemwide as of 8:30 p.m. Sunday due to extreme weather conditions. Customers are encouraged to check njtransit.com for updated information regarding restoration of service.

NJ TRANSIT is also announcing that Access Link paratransit service has been suspended for the remainder of Sunday and will remain suspended statewide on Monday, December 27. Access Link representatives are individually calling customers with existing reservations to reschedule trips.

As previously announced, NJ TRANSIT rail service will operate on an enhanced weekend schedule on Monday, December 27, on all lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line. Atlantic City Rail Line service will follow a regular weekday schedule. The enhanced weekend schedule provides more trains than a Saturday/Sunday schedule, while still reducing the number of trains operating to match expected ridership. To plan a rail trip on njtransit.com, customers should use January 17, 2011, (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) as their travel date.

Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect

To give customers additional travel options during expected winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT has implemented full systemwide cross-honoring through 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 27, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, bus or light rail. For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station.

Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead.

In addition, all NJ TRANSIT rail station buildings and waiting rooms will remain open extended hours, including evenings and overnight, throughout the storm.

Travel Advice:

* Customers should travel only if absolutely necessary.
* Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. This information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
* Sign up for free My Transit Alerts to receive travel advisories for your specific trip via email or mobile device. Visit njtransit.com/mytransit to enroll.
* Allow plenty of extra travel time. Delays and service changes are possible.
* Use extreme caution when walking on exposed sidewalks, parking lots or station platforms and when boarding trains and buses.
* Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
* If you park, ensure your car is stocked with a snow brush and ice scraper so you can clear your car upon returning to the lot.
* Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or NJ TRANSIT staff.
* Local jurisdictions are responsible for clearing bus stops. Local residents can help their neighbors by shoveling the bus stops along the sidewalks near their homes so that people are not standing in the icy streets while traffic is passing.

(YWN Storm Desk -2010)