Category: Commuters

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Wednesday Accident Shuts Down Port Authority Bus Terminal and Lincoln Tunnel

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

New York NY, Wednesday’s crash in Union City on Route 495 out bound from the Lincoln Tunnel caused a commuting nightmare on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Lincoln Tunnel and 495 shut down for hours, causing the closure of the Port Authority bus terminal leaving commuters to look for alternate routes out of the city.

The Lincoln Tunnel shut down backed up Midtown traffic for miles heading toward the Holland Tunnel. Those jams lasted well into the evening as commuters tried to escape the city for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

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NJ TRANSIT Early Getaway Service in Advance of Independence Day Holiday

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  NJ TRANSIT will offer “early getaway’’ rail and bus service on Wednesday, July 3, for the benefit of customers leaving work early in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4. In addition, there will be service adjustments throughout the NJ TRANSIT system on July 4.

To help speed the getaway, customers are reminded of the convenience the MyTix feature on the NJ TRANSIT mobile app offers to purchase tickets.

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Port Authority Plans to Jack Up Fares at Bridges, Tunnels And Area Airports

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog


New York NY, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey record-setting use of its facilities and with major redevelopment projects underway across the region, the Port Authority today advanced to its Board of Commissioners a proposal for the first inflation-based toll increases to the agency’s six bridges and tunnels since 2015 in line with the inflation-adjusted schedule mandated by the Board in 2008 and reaffirmed in 2011. The automatic increases are triggered when the cumulative impact of inflation on existing toll rates reaches $1.00, as measured from the last increase. The cumulative impact of inflation since 2015 will reach this level in 2020, prompting an increase of the cash toll rate at all Port Authority crossings from $15.00 to $16.00, as of January 5, 2020. The proposal also makes changes to three other aspects of the toll schedule: 1) discounts for out-of-state E-ZPass accounts; 2) the NY/NJ Staten Island Bridges discount program; and 3) the Carpool Discount program.

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TRAFFIC ALERT: UPCOMING LANE CHANGES TO BEGIN ON JUNE 28, 2019

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

North Bergen NJ, Beginning at approximately 9 PM on June 28, 2019, weather permitting, the contractor will begin to make traffic pattern changes for the new stage of construction.

Motorists traveling on Route 3 Eastbound destined for the 30th Street Ramp, Columbia Avenue and JFK Boulevard must use the Route 3/Secaucus Service Road and follow to the Route 495 East Exit.

Due to the new location of the construction work zone on Route 495, Route 3 traffic will only have access to 30th Street, Columbia Avenue and JFK Boulevard from the Route 3/Secaucus Service Road approach.

Please follow the existing and construction signage and Please always drive safely through our construction work zones.
Maps indicating routing are in the post dated Nay 9, 2019 below.

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PATH ANNOUNCES 3-YEAR PLAN TO INCREASE CAPACITY BY 40% ON NEWARK-WTC LINE AND BY 20% ON OTHER THREE LINES

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hoboken NJ , Capacity increases leverage more than $1 billion in capital investment in new signal system, in new rail cars, and in new station modifications announced today;

Newark to WTC line will move to 9-car trains and 3-minute headways in Q4 2022.

Today the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey unveiled the PATH Improvement Plan. The Plan will provide major capacity increases across the PATH system by 2022, including a conversion of the Newark to WTC line from 8-car trains to 9-car trains running every three minutes during the peak of rush hour periods. In addition, the Plan outlines a detailed, six-point delay reduction initiative to be implemented over the next 30-months, a new fare payment system to be introduced by 2022, and a set of customer service initiatives.

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UPDATE ON MILLING AND PAVING OF TRAIN STATION PARKING LOT AND ADJACENT LOT CLOSURE WILL TAKE PLACE ALL DAY AND INTO THE EVENING ON JUNE 14, 2019

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Due to the heavy rains this morning, the train station parking lot and the adjacent parking lot (with an entrance by MacMurphy’s) will be milled and paved all day and into the evening hours, of June 14, 2019.  Please make alternate parking arrangements, as indicated below.

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NJ Transit Reminds Commuters of Regulations on Motorized E-Scooters and E-Bicycles

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hoboken NJ, As Hoboken prepares to launch its e-scooter program, which NJ TRANSIT fully supports as yet another environmentally-friendly mode of travel in a transit-rich city, we’re reminding customers of the regulations pertaining to motorized wheeled vehicles on our system.  

E-scooters are not permitted on board NJ TRANSIT trains, buses or light rail vehicles.  Designated e-scooter drop off areas will be located near Hoboken Terminal for customer convenience.  NJ TRANSIT strongly encourages customers to utilize the designated drop off /pickup locations for the e-scooters.  E-scooters are not permitted inside the waiting room, concourse or on rail platforms and bus lanes of Hoboken Terminal.  The regulations are in place for the safety of all customers utilizing the transportation system, as well as those riding scooters. 

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NJ TRANSIT TO HOST CUSTOMER FORUMS IN HOBOKEN AND NEW YORK

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In advance of upcoming Amtrak track work at Penn Station New York this summer and resulting service adjustments, NJ TRANSIT is inviting customers to interact with senior management and operations personnel at the latest “We Are Listening” forums at Hoboken Terminal on Wednesday, May 15th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Penn Station New York Thursday, May 16th from 4:30-6:30 p.m.   

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Governor Murphy , “Reimagining of Urban Commuting.”

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Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Permitting Operation of Low Speed E-Bikes and Motorized Scooters

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON NJ, As Governor Phil Murphy continues working to bolster New Jersey’s innovation economy, he signed legislation today (S731) that outlines regulations governing the use of low speed electric scooters and e-bikes.

The bill calls for motorized scooters and e-bikes capable of traveling 20 miles per hour or slower to be regulated much the same as ordinary bicycles, allowing their operation on streets, highways, and bicycle paths in this State. An operator of a low-speed electric bicycle or motorized scooter is not required to register the scooter or e-bike, furnish proof of insurance, or have a driver’s license. The bill further provides that all statutes, rules, and regulations that apply to ordinary bicycles will apply to low-speed electric bicycles and motorized scooters.

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NEW JERSEY MOTOR VEHICLE COMMISSION GEARS UP FOR REAL ID

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sue Fulton today announced a sweeping set of ambitious initiatives the Commission is rolling out in preparation for the issuance of REAL ID.

“We’ve seen in other states that issuing REAL IDs causes dramatically longer lines, in some cases completely overwhelming Motor Vehicle agencies,” Fulton said. “We want to make sure that we are ready for our customer volume to double, triple, or even quadruple, when REAL ID starts.”

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GOVERNOR MURPHY RECOGNIZES LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER TRAINEES GRADUATING CLASSROOM TRAINING

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy and NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett recognized NJ TRANSIT’s latest Locomotive Engineer Training Class for passing and graduating the Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee (NORAC) and physical characteristics exams. The Governor presented each trainee with a certificate of achievement, as the class wraps up its final days of on-the-job training.

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MTA Chairmen Contradicts Governor Murphy’s Assertion of Deal on Congestion Pricing

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the staff of the ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is denying that New York and New Jersey have reached an agreement about how three Hudson River crossings will be treated under a new plan to toll drivers entering Manhattan’s central business district.

Patrick Foye, the chairman and CEO of the MTA, said in a statement late Wednesday that he was not aware of an agreement announced earlier in the day by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

“With all due respect to Governor Murphy, we have no idea what he is talking about,” Foye said.

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NJ Transit Bus Driver Saves Injured Pedestrian’s Life in Hasbrouck Heights

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hasbrouck Hts NJ, NJ TRANSIT bus operator Ruben Valle was stopped at a red light in Hasbrouck Heights when he saw a female pedestrian struck by a car making a left turn in front of him. Ruben, a former EMT, quickly put the bus in park, asked his passengers to call 9-11, and ran out to provide assistance. Ruben told the conscious but injured pedestrian to stay still, and after another passerby came to stay with her went back to the bus for traffic cones.

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Construction Starts at Ridgewood Train Station

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photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The construction of additional parking spaces has begun at the Ridgewood train station.

Update on train station parking lot construction, work to begin 4/8/19

The train station parking lot construction will begin on April 8, 2019, for the next 3-4 months for renovation and addition of 35 parking spaces.

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Reader says , “the train is still the best way to get to the city”

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“All of this is driven by the ever increasing need for more and more fees to feed the out of control spending“

Another factor is supply and demand. As more people apply for parking permits, price has to rise. It would be against basic rules of market economy to do otherwise. We may not like it, but what’s the alternative?

With all honesty, the train is still the best way to get to the city. For the most part it’s punctual, there are always seats and it’s comfy. Where else can you get a better option? Summit/Millburn have an easier way to get to Penn St direct, but many Ridgewood commuters go to Hoboken stop instead.

Ridgewood is a beautiful, welcoming village. And hey, if the parking is too pricey, why not ride a bicycle during warner season (free) and Uber/Lyft when it’s cooler (~$7 one way)?