The MTA has emergency action plans in place to handle all sorts of mayhem, like blizzards, hurricanes, power outages – and egg-wielding pranksters.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is prepared to stop running buses in three neighborhoods if Halloween mischief strikes this year, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.
In recent years, lines in the Edgewater Park and Country Club sections of the Bronx and Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, were shut down because of vandalism.
“These areas notoriously have been problem areas,” Ortiz said.
He said the MTA Halloween action plan includes additional personnel ready to respond to reports of vandalism and coordinate with police.
Cleaning crews in mobile units will also be stationed to specific locations “and moved as situations dictate,” Ortiz said.
“It’s definitely a safety concern,” he said. “We deploy this action plan to ensure employees and customers are provided with a safe environment when working or using our buses.”
This year, snowballs also could be a problem, he said.
But some Bronx residents weren’t convinced a shutdown was needed or even fair.
Ryan Wirsing, 21, of Country Club, didn’t think the bus lines should be stopped because of a few bad apples.
“It’s a little crazy to shut down a bus for just egg throwing,” he said. “A lot of the elderly people in the neighborhood take it. What will they do?”
Anthony Amora, 55, agreed.
“I don’t think the bus line should be shut down,” he said. “People here don’t know about it and they rely on it.”
Service suspensions are likely on sections of the following routes: Bx8 (Edgewater Park); Bx24 (Country Club) and B31 (Gerritsen Beach).
pdonohue@nydailynews.com
