Buses will perform better if more people get off of them in favor of bikes, especially for short-term trips during rush hours, Papandreou said.

FORBES: Cities Expect Bicycle Boom

Officials in Washington didn't want a repeat of 2011, when a rush-hour snowstorm stranded commuters for hours, so they told people to stay off the roads and gave workers the day off.

WSJ: Snowstorm spares DC, heads toward New England

Brown said the water would be delayed for no more than two hours, just enough time to take the pressure off the power supply during "rush" hour, but that move would not affect residents.

CNN: California briefly declares Stage Three power emergency