NJ Transit to test WiFi in Port Authority bus terminal
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on November 13, 2014 at 7:55 AM, updated November 13, 2014 at 7:58 AM
NJ Transit officials want to bring some of the communications of the future to the aging Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Commuters will be asked to test drive part of it, a WiFi system designed to help them get travel information faster in a bus terminal with less than optimal cellphone reception now.
To make that happen, NJ Transit and the Port Authority have formed a Customer Information and Technology group, said Dennis Martin, NJ Transit general manger of bus operations.
A WiFi network inside the terminal would allow commuters to access NJ Transit’s “My Tix” app, which allows riders to buy tickets using their smart phone. My Tix is being tested on Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia NJ Transit bus routes, Martin said. Riders have complained about waiting in line to use ticket vending machines in the terminal.
“The next thing is the Wi-FI and we’re talking about launching a beta site and encouraging customers to test it,” said Veronique Hakim, NJ Transit executive director. “We’ll notify them when begins.”
That WiFi network is different than the existing WiFi service offered through the Optimum network in select NJ Transit stations and terminals, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.
https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/11/nj_transits_to_add_this_centurys_communications_in.html
Great, so when my bus doesn’t show up I won’t notice.
Providing WiFi accomplishes nothing. The Port Authority has bus timetables, which can be access in print form, or from their website. Everyone has data access already, so they can look this up if they want to. The issue with the dreadful bus scheduling is they don’t provide LIVE information, giving information about gates and actual departure times. Just about every major bus terminal in the world provides this very information, but ho now, not the bus terminal in probably the most important city in the world. As anyone about the nightmare of the chaos in navigating the departure gates for the bus evening bus home. IT SUCKS.