New Jersey Travel Restrictions Follow State of Emergency as Transit Works to Recover
New Jersey officials have put statewide measures in place and urged residents to heed new jersey travel restrictions after a major blizzard struck the region Sunday into Monday. The guidance matters now because transit agencies are restarting services on tight timetables while tens of thousands remain without power and crews work to clear frozen switches and snowbound streets.
Governor Mikie Sherrill urges residents to stay off the roads
Governor Mikie Sherrill warned all New Jersey residents to remain off roadways and to prepare for potentially life‑threatening conditions in the storm’s aftermath. The executive-level caution accompanied a broader emergency response as officials assessed damage from high snowfall and downed trees.
NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri outlines modified rail and bus plans
NJ Transit will operate rail, bus and access services but with significant alterations. NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri said the immediate objective is to restore enough of the system so commuters can return to work, and he emphasized that extreme winter weather damages trains, rails and the switches that keep traffic moving. He described having the system ready for the next morning as a Herculean task given how recently the storm ended.
Light Rail, bus and commuter schedules set with specific start times
Light Rail service resumed at 4 p. m. on Monday. Bus service is scheduled to restart at 4 a. m. Tuesday, though localized detours are possible. Commuter rail is slated to resume at 5 a. m. on a modified weekend schedule. Those timelines are contingent on field conditions and remaining repair work.
North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley Lines and Amtrak frozen switches
Trains were moved into position on the North Jersey Coast Line on Monday, with empty consists rolling down the line as locomotives and cars were staged for the morning rush. The North Jersey Coast and Raritan Valley Lines could remain suspended, and the Northeast Corridor Line may have to skip local stops through Union County. Those service limitations hinge on whether Amtrak completes overnight work to remedy frozen switches.
Monmouth and Ocean Counties face heavy snow, outages and blocked streets
The blizzard deposited huge amounts of snow across Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Trees brought down utility lines, leaving tens of thousands of residents without power, and in some neighborhoods side streets remained covered in snow. Freehold resident Lynn Fachler said they had to choose between getting power restored or having the street plowed because they did not want to stay there another night. Stephen Ingram said both ends of his street were blocked by downed power lines.
State Emergency Operations Center Level 2 activation and rescue readiness
Acting State Police Superintendent David Sirota confirmed the State Emergency Operations Center has been placed at Level 2 activation and will remain staffed around the clock. Search-and-rescue teams equipped with high‑wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles are on standby to respond where needed. Meanwhile, New Jersey Transit crews spent much of the overnight period clearing parking lots, staircases and platforms to support the modified schedule, though officials cautioned that a full return to normal service could take time.
Residents seeking warming centers were directed to contact NJ211 for assistance. A separate technical note reminded web users that some sites may prompt browser updates because certain older browsers are not supported by modern web platforms built to improve speed and usability; users were advised to update their browsers for the best online experience.
What makes this notable is how tightly operational recovery timelines are tied to fixed, repairable choke points—frozen switches and downed lines—that directly determine whether key commuter corridors can reopen. The timing matters because even with Light Rail and partial bus and rail service restarting on set schedules, widespread power outages and blocked local streets will constrain access and slow restoration of full service.
Officials have balanced a rapid resumption of service—Light Rail at 4 p. m. Monday, buses at 4 a. m. Tuesday and commuter rail at 5 a. m. on a modified weekend plan—with clear caveats about suspensions and skipped stops depending on Amtrak’s overnight repairs and ongoing field conditions. Residents were urged to remain off the roads until conditions improve and to use warming center resources if needed.
