Highways closed, city buses stop running at 5 p.m.

Interstate highways have been closed, and mass transit routes are shutting down as the snowfall increases and winds pick up throughout the region.

Citing snow accumulation, poor visibility, rising winds and icy road surfaces, Gov. Rendell and PEMA director Robert P. French ordered the Schuylkill Expressway as well as I-676 and I-476 to shut down at 2 p.m.

"We've deemed any driving on these roads to be hazardous," Rendell told reporters in a conference call. "And the roads will remain closed until the snow has abated."

SEPTA shut down most of its bus routes at 1 p.m. and said the remainder would stop running at 5 p.m. Regional rail trains, subways and some major bus routes will continue to operate, but there are a number of cancellations.

Broad Street and Market-Frankford subways will run all night, with half-hour service, SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said. Worsening road conditions forced the decision to halt bus service on all routes.

NJ Transit also has begun reducing its service. Train service will be reduced after 2:30 p.m., with some trains combined and others cancelled. Customers should expect delays and check the agency's Web site at njtransit.com.

Buses will be delayed, detoured and cancelled on many routes, NJ Transit said. The River Line light rail line between Camden and Trenton is operating with delays.

The Philadelphia International Airport closed its runways at 1 p.m., although there was no demand for them and most airlines canceled flights in advance of the storm.

These are the bus routes SEPTA will try to maintain as long as possible:

City Bus Routes 14, 21, 23, 27, 33, 47, 52, 55, 60, 66, 79, C and R

City Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 15, 34 and 36

Suburban Bus Routes 93, 96, 99, 104, 109, 110, 113, 124, 125 and 130

Trolley Routes 101 and 102

PATCO trains will continue to operate through the snowstorm, departing every 15 minutes, at reduced speeds.

Few people were on the roads and transit lines. SEPTA said its ridership was down by 90 percent from the usual weekday, when it normally carries about one million riders a day.

Rendell said I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike would remain open for now, but he said he had ordered several major interstates in Central Pennsylvania to shut down as well because of blizzard conditions. (In Central Pennsylvania, the state closed the entire segment of I-83 and 1-78, as well as a portion of I-81, from the Maryland border to I-80 at 12:30 p.m.).

Asked when the state last closed such a large nexus of highways, Rendell said: "I can't remember the last time, it hasn't happened in my seven years as governor."

SEPTA Subways, trains, trolleys and buses ran this morning, but there were delays and cancellations - and few passengers.

With the worse yet to come, officials were warning that anyone who made it to work this morning might get stuck tonight.

A fallen tree shut down service this morning on SEPTA's Route 100, the Norristown High Speed Line, stranding passengers in the stuck train. SEPTA officials said the incident, which happened shortly after 10:30 a.m., might take several hours to clear.

Most commuters apparently heeded pleas to stay home.

"Everything is very light," said SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams.

If snow and winds make it necessary to stop running most trains, buses and trolleys, SEPTA officials said they will try to give riders an hour's advance notice.

The Market-Frankford and Broad Street subways will continue to operate, and Williams urged commuters to head for a subway station if other vehicles stop running.

The Airport said there still may be a large number of flight cancellations tomorrow and travelers are urged to check on the status of their flight by contacting their airline, calling the Airport's toll-free flight information line at 1-800-PHL-GATE, or visit its website at www.phl.org.

For SEPTA alerts go to www.septa.org or www.twitter.com/SEPTA.

For the PATCO High Speed Line, with stops in South Jersey and Philadelphia, visit www.ridepatco.org.

N.J. Transit (www.njtransit.org) operates buses, the Camden-to-Trenton River Line and an Atlantic City-Cherry Hill-Philadelphia train.

For views of roads in Pennsylvania, go to www.511pa.com/Traffic.aspx and click on "cameras."

For New Jersey, go to: www.state.nj.us/transportation/traffic/cameras/