Metro

No charge for two subway lines on Sandy anniversary

Almost 100,000 riders on lines devastated by Sandy will get some pocketbook relief on the superstorm’s one-year anniversary, Governor Cuomo announced today.

There will be no charge for the 30,000 riders who use the A subway line between Howard Beach and the Rockaway Peninsula, and the 65,000 who rely on the R train in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

“They have put up with a lot of inconvenience,” said Howard Glaser, an advisor to Governor Cuomo and director of operations for the state. “They have been good-natured, good-hearted New Yorkers all through the process. They deserve more than our thanks.”

Officials also announced today that the feds will pick up 90% of the tab for the work to repair the Montague Tube, which the R train had used between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and make it more storm-proof.

Senator Charles Schumer said the money would come through the Federal Transit Administration, and the remaining 10 percent was likely to come from other federal sources.

“It’s almost a certainty we will get all of the money back, and fares will not be impeded at all,” he said.

In previous disasters, FEMA reimbursed the MTA—a process that can take years, Schumer added. But by working with the FTA, the authority has been able to get to work rebuilding tunnels quickly without needing to finalize agreements for reimbursement, he said.