MTA keeps customers in the dark on Winter Storm Stella, as usual

Tonight, the n'oreaster Stella is poised to batter the New York Metropolitan area with 12-20 inches of snow.   The MTA and NYC Transit was preparing for this storm - - and with that, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the suspension of all above ground NYC subway service starting at 4 AM, similar to a service plan last year, this time with the addition of Q service running between Canal Street (upper level) and 96th Street/2nd Ave.  You can view the special map here.  MTA New York City Transit really does an outstanding job of keeping as much subway service running as possible but fail (once again) in informing customers about service changes tonight in preparation for the mandatory 4 AM partial shutdown.  In fact, it's the customers who are telling NYCT about the service changes taking place after this evening's rush hour.

Last year, I posted my real and undiluted guide to the winter service changes - - same deal tonight with B and W line suspensions - - as well as most express service running on the local track.   And only half of this is on the MTA website.  The only service changes they posted are the D/N local in Brooklyn, and the N/Q local in Manhattan.  Everything else they posted was 3-4 hours late or was after a customer tweeted to NYCT's Twitter account about why the W was not running or the 4/5 were running local in Manhattan.


Here's what they didn't post - - no B service after 7:30 PM.  In fact, I checked TripPlanner+ - - it showed two B trains at 10 PM.  And I called the Travel Information Center at 9:30 PM, asking if the B was running, they said yes the B is still running - - here are the snapshots showing nothing anywhere on the MTA website:

Poster at 145th Street, Lower level B/D platform

Snapshot showing D and N service changes but no B service change posted

Trip Planner result showing B trains arriving at West 4th Street  after 100 PM, nearly 3 hours after the start of the B suspension

And the customers took to Twitter asking NYCT why their train was not running.  Nothing was ever posted on  the MTA website on the last two shown and the W suspension was posted after Josh Abrams complained about no W service.   And it;s NYCT who should be telling the customers about these service changes, not the other way around.

The 2/3/4/5 trains were running local in Manhattan at 8 PM - - NYCT didn't post anything until 11:50 PM, nearly 4 hours later.  That's not "up-to-the-minute service updates through the service status box on the alert home page." Frankly, that is a complete lie by the MTA.

MTA Homepage as of 11:34 PM, showing almost nothing on 2/3/4/5/A//E/F service changes

So here is a checklist on what they posted and missed.

A local in Brooklyn and Manhattan after 8 PM - - nothing

B suspension - - nothing

D local in Brooklyn and Manhattan - - posted on time for Brooklyn service change, 3 hours later for West 4th-34th Street, nothing on 59-145.

E/F local in Queens after 8 PM - - nothing

N/Q local in Queens, N local in Brooklyn - - posted on time for both

W suspension - - after someone tweeted it - 1 hour late

2/3 local in Manhattan - - 3 hours late

4/5 local in Manhattan - - 3 hours late

4 local in Brooklyn  - - nothing

UPDATE:  As of this afternoon, they posted everything this morning related to an all underground service plan - - additionally, northbound 1 train service now terminates at 191 Street instead of 168....why was it difficult to post the suspension of B service and other changes last night?

MTA New York City Transit, you failed again in informing customers.