With a blast of winter weather predicted to move into the region, NJ Transit is taking proactive steps to minimize delays, ensure service reliability and give customers additional travel options.

To give customers additional travel options during expected winter weather conditions, NJ Transit will offer system wide cross-honoring on Tuesday, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel modes: rail, bus or light rail.

Many NJ Transit trains are on modified schedules because of Hurricane Sandy. Because of the modified schedules, the website’s trip planner is not operable.

"NJ Transit is taking a proactive role to prepare for the impending storm. While we have both the equipment and personnel ready to clear tracks and platforms, we also want to provide customers with as much travel flexibility as possible. We want to keep our customers on the move, and this is why system wide cross-honoring will be in effect for all of Tuesday," said NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein. "We want our customers to be safe, and encourage them to plan ahead and use good judgment in their travels. Customers should also monitor njtransit.com, in addition to social media pages, broadcast reports and station announcements."

Steps NJ Transit is taking to handle the impending winter weather include:

• Making snow plows and salt spreaders ready for service. Snow-removal contracts are in place with outside vendors.

• Stocking 16,000 bags of snow-melting supplies, and hundreds of shovels and snow blowers.

• Performing maintenance and testing on its two rail-mounted jet snow blowers in the event they are needed to help clear train tracks of snow and ice, particularly in rail yards.

• Inspection of more than 750 rail switches prior to Hurricane Sandy. Inspections are continuing along rail lines where rail service has been recently restored.

• Inspecting onboard heating systems, thermostats, weather stripping, and electronic components on railcars and locomotives.

• Inspecting and maintenance performed on a fleet of nearly 2,200 buses — from the heating and airbrake systems, to the engine fluids, tires, windshield wipers and doors.

While every measure has been taken to prepare, it may be necessary to adjust service during the storm. NJ Transit is encouraging its customers to monitor the latest service updates via njtransit.com, Twitter, Facebook, station announcements and broadcast traffic reports.