Right, but you really think they are even trying to continue their normal routes right now? I would guess that they would revert to a skeleton emergency plan that focused on a limited number of evacuation shuttle routes. The trains should still be able to run, because most systems have backup batteries in the crossing and signal systems, and in an emergency the railroads can waive the Federal rules that limit how long a railroader can work. I would suspect there are similar emergency waivers for bus drivers, so those on duty can continue until the backlog is relieved.
I would not be surprised if there were some major changes in the bus/rail emergency service plans as a result of today.
The problem would likely be that in the city they are electric powered, thus can't move until it comes back on. (I know that some are dual powered (diesel/electric). I suppose they could run a limited number of diesels through the tunnels, but without fans to exhaust, it would get pretty bad in there from the fumes and CO.)
It is my understanding that New Jersey Transit is not running anything close to their regular schedule. They are running shuttle service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal out to Giants Stadium, and running separate bus lines from there out to distant points in New Jersey.
I would not be surprised if there were some major changes in the bus/rail emergency service plans as a result of today.
It's easier said than done. The problem you face is that it is so hard to plan for emergencies because there is no way of predicting what combination of service will be out of commission.
New Jersey Transit actually has some pretty decent emergency plans in place, but they involve the use of services like the PATH trains that were also out of service today.
Just think about what you had here today, and realize that there's no way in hell to accommodate all the people trying to get out of the city to the west. You had New Jersey Transit and PATH trains out of service, as well as the Port Authority Bus Terminal shut down with no power. They operated bus service from the PABT as well as possible, but they couldn't even accommodate a "normal" volume of buses because all of the passengers had to board the buses on the street instead of inside the terminal.
What made today even worse is that it occurred during the evening rush hour instead of in the morning. If it had occurred in the morning, then a substantial number of people would have simply turned around and gone back home. They didn't have that option today.