R Y Officials worry that transportation problems on New Year's Eve could leave riders stranded. If a Y2K bug paralyzes subway nervous systems or the electrical supply that runs trains in cities such as Boston, New York and Washington, operators will have virtually no time to make repairs or warn incoming riders. Some U.S. operators, such as the Chicago Transit Authority, will conduct similar pauses.
Federal officials think it's a prudent step.
Computers may malfunction and think the clock has been set back to 1900 instead of forward to 2000. At that moment, New Year's Eve parties will be reaching their climax. Crowds urged to use public transportation as a way to avoid traffic will head for the nearest bus, subway station or railroad terminal. Washington officials expect up to 800,000 riders that night on their Metro subway system, many of them attracted to the Lincoln Memorial for a millennium party hosted by entertainer Will Smith. Boston is expecting 2 million for its First Night celebration, an increase of 500,000 people from a normal year, while Times Square in New York is expected to be a mecca for millennium buffs.