Service on planes, trains, automobiles (and boats) in Massachusetts has been restricted or cancelled as officials prepare for a blizzard.
The nor’easter is set to bring up to 2 feet of snow and strong wind gusts to much of the state Sunday night into Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Whiteout conditions are expected, and travel should be limited to emergencies.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon ahead of the blizzard. During a press conference, she urged employers to allow employees to work from home or stay home on Monday.
Most school districts across Massachusetts have canceled school on Monday.
“If you do not absolutely need to be traveling, you should not,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said during the press conference.
Roads and highways
MassDOT issued a commercial vehicle restriction affecting box trucks, tandems, tractor-trailers and special permit vehicles Sunday afternoon. It is in place until further notice. Vehicles delivering food, fuel and medical supplies are exempt.
Healey activated 200 Massachusetts National Guard members ahead of the storm to ready them for rescue response, she said. MassDOT plans to have approximately 3,000 pieces of snow- and ice-clearing equipment ready to respond during the blizzard, Gulliver said.
“If you have to be on the roads, keep a distance from those plows. Let them do their work,” Healey said. “Every car that gets stranded, runs down, slips, crashes — you are creating burden for our first-responders who may need to be deployed elsewhere.”
Residents can expect highways to be clear three to four hours after the storm ends and ready for regular travel during the Tuesday commute, Gulliver said. However, secondary and local roads may take days to clear.
The MBTA, The Steamship Authority and Logan Airport
On Monday, all MBTA modes of transportation will be utilizing emergency schedules, MBTA COO Ryan Coleman said Sunday afternoon. This means the level of service will be equivalent to regular weekend service.
MBTA ferry service will be suspended entirely on Monday, Coleman said. Additionally, the Mattapan high-speed line will be replaced by shuttle buses.
Travelers using the MBTA should check mbta.com for service updates, Coleman said.
The Steamship Authority has cancelled all ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Monday.
Most flights set to depart out of Boston Logan Airport have been canceled.
