Three major public transportation systems in three big cities -- New York, Washington and Philadelphia -- will be closed as Hurricane Sandy closes in on the East Coast.
Close to 11 million commuters will be without service.
In New York, the city that never sleeps, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was under orders from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to begin the suspension of subway service at 7 p.m. Sunday. Bus service will stop at 9 p.m.
"The storm is coming ... and now it is time to take action," Cuomo told reporters. "A situation like this, you don't want to be overly panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent and you want to do what is necessary."
It's rare for New York's massive transit network, the largest in North America with some 8.5 million riders a day, to grind to a halt.
But Cuomo said the move was a necessary step because it isn't safe to operate trains in high winds, and equipment could also become damaged.
It's unclear how long the system will be down.
"Service will be restored only when it is safe to do so, after careful inspections of all equipment and tracks. Even with minimal damage, this is expected to be a lengthy process," the MTA said on its website.
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