NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- Bus, subway, and regional rail service in New York City as well as area airports will be shut down on Saturday afternoon as Hurricane Irene moves along the U.S. East Coast, officials said.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it has decided to close its five airports - John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, Stewart International, LaGuardia and Teterboro airports - to all arriving passenger flights beginning at noon local time on Saturday.
"The Port Authority is taking this measure to avoid stranding passengers at its airports when the region's mass transit systems suspend service tomorrow due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene," a Port Authority spokesperson said. "Many weekend departures already have been cancelled at all of the airports, so travelers are urged to contact their carriers prior to leaving for the airport."
The Port Authority said the five airports will remain open for departing flights 'until further notice', but gave no indication whether or not it would completely shut down when the storm reaches New York City.
The decision to shut down the region's airports was made after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) decided to begin an orderly shutdown at around noon on Saturday. MTA provides local and express bus, subway, and regional rail service in Greater New York.
"These actions are consistent with the MTA's Hurricane Plan, designed to protect the safety of customers, employees and equipment, and ensure the fastest and safest possible restoration of service after the storm," MTA said in a statement. It also added that certain fares and tolls have been suspended to facilitate evacuations.
As of 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on Saturday morning, the center of Irene was located about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Cape Lookout in North Carolina. The storm has maximum sustained winds near 90 miles (150 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts, making it a category one hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity.