Long lines snaked throughout the third floor of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan Monday afternoon, well ahead of the usual rush-hour crush, as commuters scrambled to catch shuttles to park-and-ride lots on the other side of the Hudson.

Both sides gave an update on negotiations in the race to end the commuter rail strike before the start of the workweek.

The initiative by banks and other employers in New York to bring back workers to the office is being undermined by an unexpected roadblock in a neighboring state.