New Yorkers got good news today — most key subway lines are back.
And Gov. Cuomo declared a “transportation emergency’’ — which means all operating subways, commuter lines and buses are free to ride today and tomorrow.
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota says 14 of the city’s 23 subway lines are to be operating Thursday with service restoration to continue as the days go on.
F and N trains will operate from Queens to Manhattan, just two of the 14 lines that will be at least partially back.
Three of the tunnels that run under the East River between Brooklyn and lower Manhattan have been cleared of debris and water, but electricity has not been restored and it’s not known when they’ll be back in use.
“We’re going switch by switch, signal by signal, power station by power station,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota.
The LIRR and Metro-North are also slowly rolling back.
Meanwhile, motorists are facing a new problem.
Vehicles with fewer than three passengers won’t be allowed into Manhattan on nearly every major bridge.
The restrictions run from 6 a.m. to midnight on the four major city-owned bridges — the Williamsburg, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queensboro — as well as the Triborough and Henry Hudson bridges and the Lincoln Tunnel.
The rule will not apply on the George Washington and Harlem River bridges.
The policy is in effect at least today and tomorrow.
“The streets just cannot handle the number of cars,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
It’s also necessary because most of lower Manhattan still has no power and operating traffic lights.
The mayor said he hopes motorists will pick up strangers near bridges.
“They’ve got a problem of getting in. You’re their solution and they’re your solution as well,” he said.
But some were skeptical.
“It’s not a good idea,” said Solange Del Mar, 36, citing security concerns.
The Brooklyn Battery, Queens Midtown and Holland tunnels remain closed.
Meanwhile, the lower level of the Manhattan Bridge will be reserved for bus traffic.
City buses were back, but the MTA stopped service below 23rd Street in Manhattan after sundown because it was too dangerous to drive without operating traffic lights.
jennifer.fermino@nypost.com