New Haven trains to Grand Central open

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A welcome sight for so many Connecticut commuters -- Metro North trains running from New Haven to Grand Central for the first time since Sandy hit.

"You know you do what you can to get in. When i woke up and saw service restored, here I am," Pat Roman from Trumbull said.

And based on the gridlock on New York City Roads, driving from Connecticut was not an option.

News 8's Kent Pierce asked commuters, "Did driving ever cross your mind?"

"Not at all. It's not worth it. I have a buddy in Queens. It took him five hours just to get from Queens to Manhattan," Chris Kovalchick from Trumbull said.

"You can't make it with 1 car so I didn't even give it a thought," Chris Connelly from Fairfield said.

And when the Stamford station opened Thursday, getting home from there was almost as bad as the city.

"It was a nightmare. It was gridlock. Some sort of emergency near the station, so they closed off part of the road," Cathy Mingolelo from Shelton said.

"It took me an hour to get out of the parking garage. Gridlock on the fifth floor," Tom Dimaio from Fairfield said.

But here's the thing. It's great to be able to get on a train, but that's only half the battle. With all the problems with the infrastructure in New York, there's trouble even getting to work.

"Well, there's a crane hanging on the next block, so I think we have limited access walking up to the building," Roman said.

That construction crane dangling over 57th Street was just one challenge. Many offices are still tough to get to with flood water wreaking havoc on the subway system. That meant ridiculous lines for the one kind of mass transit left, the bus.

"I just feel bad for all the people waiting for the bus. The line snaked all the way around 45th Street and down Lexington, as far as the eye could see," Cathy Mingolelo from Shelton said.