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Despite Promises, Gas Lines Still Long In Yonkers

YONKERS, N.Y. – While government officials continue to promise fuel is on its way, many Yonkers residents say they have yet to notice much of a difference.

Long lines at gas stations, including this Shell station on McLean Avenue, continued to persist in Yonkers Monday.

Long lines at gas stations, including this Shell station on McLean Avenue, continued to persist in Yonkers Monday.

Photo Credit: Matt Bultman
Several stations, including a Mobil on Yonkers Avenue, were closed Monday with no fuel left.

Several stations, including a Mobil on Yonkers Avenue, were closed Monday with no fuel left.

Photo Credit: Matt Bultman

On Monday, several stations remained closed and gas lines were long throughout much of the city as some residents waited as long as two hours to fill up their cars.

“Things don’t seem to be looking up too quickly,” John McCaffrey said as he sat in a line at a Shell station on McLean Avenue. 

Over the weekend, state and county officials preached patience and assured residents gas was on its way to the area.  Speaking at Camp Smith in Cortlandt on Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged residents not to panic as it has only furthered issues with fuel delivery and distribution.

“We do believe it’s a short-term problem – a number of days we anticipate this to continue. [We’re] not 100 percent sure when the system will be up and running where you won’t feel any effect whatsoever,” Cuomo said. “Patience is required … now is not the time to be using the car if you don’t need to, now is not the time to be hoarding fuel.”

County Executive Rob Astorino also said this weekend that Cuomo's office has told him that deliveries of gasoline are returning to normal and generators are being delivered to those stations that have supply but no electric power.

"Again, I am asking all our residents to be patient," Astorino said. "I know this is hard, particularly as the outages continue and the weather gets colder."

Still, the assurances of pending fuel were not enough for some.  Bronx resident Joe Hendler said he was frustrated with all levels of government and wondered why more wasn’t done to prepare for the crisis.

“They knew this hurricane was going to hit days before it actually did,” he said. “There was no foresight here.”

Yonkers resident Maria Guraj said she tried to put off refueling as long as she could, but when her gas light came on, she decided she had to wait her turn in line.

“I’m counting the cars – only 11 more to go,” she said as she stretched her legs along McLean Avenue, outside her parked car.

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