New York Today: Water Main Break Snarls Commute

Ángel Franco/The New York Times The water main break caved in a section of Fifth Avenue at 13th Street.

Updated 12:06 p.m.

Good morning on this sunny Wednesday.

The fog has cleared and normal subway service has resumed following a water main break in Manhattan.

The water main break in Greenwich Village caused a slow, messy commute this morning. Subway service was restored at 10:25 a.m., the M.T.A. said, but it still might be wise to take a numbered line.

Most lettered lines were affected and are still experiencing residual delays: Namely, the B, D, F, M, N, Q, J, Z, and C. Check the M.T.A. site for the latest disruptions.

Bus service is still disrupted. M1, M2, M3 and M5 buses are detoured between 13th and 14th Streets. Check here for details.

The water main broke near Fifth Avenue and 13th Street around 12:15 a.m., the city said. It took hours to shut off the right pipes, find the pipe that had burst and bring the flooding under control.

The source of the problem was a section of 36-inch cast iron pipe dating back to 1877, said a spokesman for the city Department of Environmental Protection.

Basements were flooded when it cracked, but there were no injuries, said Michael Parrella, a Fire Department spokesman.

Fifth Avenue remains closed between 14th and 12th Streets. The break opened up a big hole in Fifth Avenue that repair crews were working on.

Buildings along Fifth Avenue from 14th to 12th Streets were without water this morning, the Department of Environmental Protection said.

A reader reported that buildings on 10th Street also remained without water.

Here’s what else you need to know.

REST OF THE COMMUTE

Rails: Check L.I.R.R., Metro-North or New Jersey Transit status.

Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s.

Alternate-side parking is in effect all week.

WEATHER

Areas of dense fog till 9 a.m. Clouds and a few stray sun rays all day long, with a high of 47. Down to 36 tonight.

THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE

You probably know plenty by now about traffic patterns on the George Washington Bridge, given the scandal over lane closings ordered by Gov. Chris Christie’s administration.

But what about the New York side of the bridge?

It’s that spot where several roadways meet in Upper Manhattan, then twist around, curly-straw style, and squeeze out two decks of gridlock.

The passage here isn’t easy, either.

“It’s a mess,” the NY1 traffic reporter Jamie Shupak told us. “I would say coming in from New Jersey is worse, but not by a lot.”

This winter, emergency repairs caused delays of hours for outbound traffic on at least three separate occasions.

On normal days, drivers can expect accidents, stalled vehicles, potholes â€" “and delays of at least 30 minutes every rush hour, every single day,” Ms. Shupak said.

Behind the delays is not a human but the Cross Bronx Expressway, consistently one of the most-congested roadways in the nation, “mainly because everyone is headed to the George.”

On New Jersey’s side, traffic-bound commuters may watch the largest free-flying flag in the world - a 60-by-90-foot Old Glory hangs over its bridge tower.

New York has the Little Red Lighthouse below, and the 32-story Bridge Apartments above, which overlook any number of accidents daily.

What are your experiences on either side of the bridge? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter, with #NYToday.

DE BLASIO WATCH

From Nikita Stewart of the City Hall bureau of The Times:

- Mayor de Blasio makes an announcement about traffic safety at a public school in Queens where a boy was struck and killed by a truck last month. 12:30 p.m.

- The mayor is also weighing a plea by the National September 11 Memorial Museum for help from the city meeting its $60 million annual budget. [Wall Street Journal]

- Mr. de Blasio’s plan to rein in charter schools was dealt a blow by a state education panel that recommended expanding them to add pre-K. [New York Post]

COMING UP TODAY

- A rally against gun violence with the mothers of victims on the steps of City Hall. 10 a.m.

- The city’s first heated bus shelter opens for a month, courtesy of greater Fort Lauderdale, on 42nd Street between Lexington and Third Avenue. 7 a.m. [Includes lounge chairs and free MetroCards]

- Attorney General Eric Holder and police officials from around the country speak at a “Safe Streets, Strong Communities” symposium at the Ford Foundation. [Filled to capacity]

- Snooki alert: She signs her book, “Baby Bumps,” at the Barnes & Noble on 54th Street. 12:30 p.m.

- Just in time for Martin Luther King’s actual birthday today, an exhibition about Brooklyn abolitionists, “In Pursuit of Freedom,” opens at the Brooklyn Historical Society. [$10 suggested]

- Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday is coming up, too. There’s a party at the Bronx County Archives. 6:30 p.m. [Free]

- An illustrated lecture at the Jackie Robinson Park recreation center in Harlem about the Museum of Modern Art’s collection of work by African-American artists. 6:30 p.m. [Free]

- A vocal concert featuring P.G. Wodehouse’s collaborations with Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Cole Porter at Juilliard. 8 p.m. [Free]

- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.

IN THE NEWS

- Governor Christie did not use the word ‘bridge’ in his State of the State address. [New York]

- But his idol Bruce Springsteen reworked “Born to Run” with Jimmy Fallon last night to skewer “Governor Chris Christie’s Fort Lee New Jersey Traffic Jam.” [See video]

- A profile of Carmen Fariña, the new schools chancellor. [New York Times]

- A boy fell into a manhole in Brooklyn but emerged mostly unscathed. [New York Times]

- A restaurant in the meatpacking district canceled a SeaWorld party featuring live penguins after complaints by PETA. [Gothamist]

- Scoreboard: So much for the local winning streak. Bobcats devour Knicks, 108-98. Lightning zap Rangers, 2-1. Panthers pounce on Islanders, 4-2. But the Devils beat the Canadiens, 4-1.

AND FINALLY…

Five years ago today, there was a plane in the Hudson.

A US Airways jetliner carrying 155 people touched down on the water after losing power in both engines. Ferries and emergency boats pulled off a quick rescue.

The pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger â€" who has since been immortalized in books and a TV documentary and lent his name to a cocktail â€" will float more peaceably off our shores this afternoon.

He will take a brief ferry ride with survivors and the ferry crews who rescued them.

So tonight, make yours a Sully.

Joseph Burgess contributed reporting.

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