Things got a little dusty, but we survived the nor'easter that swept through the city yesterday in one piece—albeit one very cold piece. Starting at 3 p.m. -ish, Mayor Bloomberg will give his latest update on the ongoing Gov. Cuomo's utility company rant or any updates on the L Train. Watch below, and we'll update once it's all over.
Update: Bloomberg made a big announcement at his afternoon press conference about gas rationing in the face of the ongoing gas shortage crisis caused by Hurricane Sandy last week: "Only 25% of gas stations are open. Drivers are still facing long lines. Frustrations are only growing," he said. "The best way to help customers buy gas faster is to alternate the days that drivers can purchase gas."
Starting at 6 a.m. tomorrow, drivers with license plates ending in odd numbers only can buy gas on odd-numbered days (for example, the Friday the 9th or Sunday the 11th); and drivers with license plates ending in even numbers only can buy gas on even-numbered days. Vehicles with licenses plates ending in a letter or other character can make purchases on odd numbered days. And all commercial vehicles, emergency vehicles, buses and paratransit vehicles, Medical Doctor (MD) plates and vehicles licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission are exempt.
“Last week’s storm hit the fuel network hard—and knocked out critical infrastructure needed to distribute gasoline,” Bloomberg added. “Even as the region’s petroleum infrastructure slowly returns to normal, the gasoline supply remains a real problem for thousands of New York drivers." Bloomberg said that the measure would be in effect indefinitely, at least till next week: "It's not any great imposition once you get used to it," he said. "We have to do something, and this is something that is practical and enforceable and understandable. Doing something is a lot better than doing nothing."
Other notes: yesterday's storm brought down a lot of trees and knocked out power for some more people, but overall, was not an incredible setback to the ongoing Sandy recovery. He expects the majority of parks will be open tomorrow, but that is not for sure. He was also asked about Cuomo's harsh words about Con Ed and other utilities, and Bloomberg was decidedly more supportive: "We've spent a lot of time with Con Ed, and from what I can see—and the governor may have a different perspective...my interest is in NYC—Con Ed, where you can measure it, they've done a very good job."
