Posted on Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT OFFERS EXTRA SERVICE AND SAVINGS FOR HOLIDAY WEEK

imgres-14

NJ TRANSIT OFFERS EXTRA SERVICE AND SAVINGS FOR HOLIDAY WEEK

Money-saving Family Super Saver fares in effect continuously from December 24 until January 5

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service for the upcoming holidays to give customers more travel options, whether going to the mall for last-minute shopping, leaving work early for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, or attending New Year’s Eve festivities.

In addition, NJ TRANSIT is giving customers more than two weeks of continuous savings through a special extension of the Family Super Saver Fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult.  Usually limited to weekends, the Family Super Saver Fare will be in effect for the entire holiday period, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 24 until 6 a.m. Monday, January 5, on all trains, buses and light rail lines.

NJ TRANSIT customer service representatives and volunteers will be deployed at major facilities throughout the holiday weekend to assist customers with their travels.

For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.

On Wednesday, December 24, trains will operate on a weekday schedule on all lines with additional “early getaway” service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.  Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line will operate on a weekday schedule.  Buses will operate on a regular weekday schedule on most routes, with early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal starting around 1 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel.  Visit njtransit.com for details.

On Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, trains will operate on a weekend schedule/major holiday schedule on all rail lines.  Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit njtransit.com for details.

On Friday, December 26, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines.  Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light.  Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains between the holidays.  Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line will operate on a weekday schedule.  Selected Port Authority Bus Terminal routes will see some reductions in a.m. and p.m. peak service due to lower passenger demand. Please consult njtransit.com for additional details.

On Saturday, December 27, trains and buses will operate on a weekend schedule.  Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Saturday schedule.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.

On Sunday, December 28, trains and buses will operate on a weekend schedule.  Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.

Extra service to/from New York on selected routes.

Newark Light Rail and River Line on Sunday schedule; HBLR on weekend schedule

On Monday, December 29, and Tuesday, December 30, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines.  Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light.  Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains between the holidays.  Buses and light rail lines will operate on a weekday schedule.

On New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines.  Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light.  Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains between the holidays.  Additional “early getaway” service from Hoboken Terminal will operate on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines in the afternoon.  In the evening, additional New York-bound trips will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines. In addition, certain trips that normally depart just before or just after midnight will operate later to accommodate customers returning from New Year’s festivities.

Bus schedules vary by route.  Customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information.  Selected routes will operate on special holiday schedules, available on njtransit.com, to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal between noon and 4 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the peak periods and later in the evening due to lower ridership.  Early getaway service will also operate from the Jersey City Waterfront on the No. 64 and No. 68 bus routes.  In the evening, additional service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal will be offered on selected routes from approximately 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. to accommodate customers traveling to New York for the festivities.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a weekday schedule.

In addition, River Line will operate extended late-night service on New Year’s Eve and after midnight on New Year’s Day to accommodate customers attending the festivities on the Camden Waterfront.  Special late-night trains will operate between Camden and Trenton, making all local stops.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will also operate added late-night service on New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day to accommodate travelers returning home from midnight celebrations.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  No open containers of alcohol will be permitted on board trains, light rail vehicles, aboard buses or in any NJ TRANSIT facility.  This policy will be strictly enforced on New Year’s Eve and after midnight.

After midnight, special late-night trains will operate on most rail lines, and expanded bus service will be provided from the Port Authority Bus Terminal until approximately
2 a.m. on selected routes.  Visit njtransit.com for details.

On New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule.   Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.  River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit njtransit.com for details.

On Friday, January 2, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines.  Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light.  Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains between the holidays.  Buses and light rail lines will operate on a weekday schedule. Selected Port Authority Bus Terminal routes will see some reductions in a.m. and p.m. peak service due to lower passenger demand. Please consult njtransit.com for additional details.

Hotwire US

Posted on 1 Comment

NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES SYSTEMWIDE CROSS-HONORING IN ADVANCE OF NOR’EASTER

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog.net_

NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES SYSTEMWIDE CROSS-HONORING IN ADVANCE OF NOR’EASTER

Customers advised to check njtransit.com before traveling

December 8, 2014

NEWARK, NJ — As the season’s next Nor’easter storm moves toward the region, NJ TRANSIT operations, customer service and police personnel are taking steps to minimize delays and ensure service reliability and safety.  All customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information before starting their trip.

Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect:  To give customers additional travel options during expected winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer full system wide cross-honoring for the entire service day Tuesday, December 9, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, bus or light rail.  For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station.  Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge.

NJ TRANSIT will closely monitor the crowds at New York Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and make adjustments to service as necessary.

The Corporation is preparing to minimize disruptions and delays to the extent possible, particularly in light of the potential Nor’easter that may impact portions of the area starting tonight.  Rail and light rail crews and equipment are on standby to quickly respond to downed trees, power outages or other issues that may arise.  In addition, NJ TRANSIT will be positioning locomotives at strategic locations across the rail system to rapidly respond in the event of a disabled train.

Customers are advised of the following:

Systemwide:  NJ TRANSIT plans to operate a regular weekday schedule on Tuesday, December 9.  Depending on the impact of the storm, it may be necessary for NJ TRANSIT to modify service as conditions change.
Bus Service:  While every effort will be made to continue operating bus service throughout the state, customers may experience delays or detours on their routes in the event of extreme winter weather conditions.  Customers are advised to plan accordingly and anticipate disruptions to bus service.

Travel Advice:

For the latest travel information, visit njtransit.com or access our Twitter feed at @NJ_TRANSIT prior to starting your trip.  In the event of delays or service adjustments, NJ TRANSIT will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager.  (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at www.njtransit.com/mytransit)  Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
Build additional travel time into your trip to a station, terminal or bus stop.
Stairs, flooring and platforms can be slippery, so please use caution when walking along wet surfaces or any outdoor surface exposed to the weather. Use extra care when boarding or exiting buses and trains.
Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or
NJ TRANSIT staff.
If you park, ensure your car is stocked with a snow brush and ice scraper so you can clear your car upon returning to the lot.

NJ TRANSIT is prepared to handle the impending winter weather:

Snow plows and salt spreaders are ready for service and snow-removal contracts are in place with outside vendors.
NJ TRANSIT is well-stocked with 16,000 bags of snow-melting supplies, and hundreds of shovels and snow blowers.
NJ TRANSIT has performed 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.
More than 750 rail switches, switch heaters and overhead wires were inspected as part of NJ TRANSIT’s preventative maintenance program.
Onboard heating systems, thermostats, weather stripping and electronic components have been inspected on NJ TRANSIT railcars, light rail cars and locomotives.
Bus maintenance personnel have inspected and performed necessary maintenance on a fleet of nearly 2,200 buses – from the heating and airbrake systems, to the engine fluids, tires, windshield wipers and doors.

Esurance

Posted on Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog.net_

NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS 

“Chicken on the Tracks” Video to Promote Rail Safety
November 18, 2014

NEWARK, NJ — At an assembly hosted at Hackensack Middle School, NJ TRANSIT  today debuted an updated version of its “Chicken on the Tracks” video, a dramatic depiction of incidents on the rails involving young people – to educate students on the possible consequences of trespassing near rail lines. The video was accompanied by a presentation and interactive session by NJ TRANSIT personnel from the agency’s Office of System Safety.

Continue reading NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

Posted on 3 Comments

Crisis helped to improve Port Authority bus terminal

1374036_10202224576720492_2009454846_n

Still not buying this up beat assessment on the Port Authority Bus Terminal

Crisis helped to improve Port Authority bus terminal
November 16, 2014, 10:54 PM    Last updated: Sunday, November 16, 2014, 10:57 PM
By CHRISTOPHER MAAG

This summer, thousands of New Jersey commuters who use the Port Authority Bus Terminal felt trapped, helpless and doomed. Delays at the terminal were growing to crisis proportions, and nobody at the Port Authority seemed to care. In fact, the agency’s leaders had announced in February that the cramped, deteriorating bus terminal wouldn’t receive an overhaul for at least another decade.

Then came Sept. 15. Officials at the Port Authority, which owns the building, and NJ Transit, which operates most buses using the terminal, unveiled an intensive campaign to slice through the bureaucratic gridlock and get buses moving. The plan worked. Long lines of commuters and buses were largely curtailed.

The success shows how a handful of people can make big change by capitalizing on crisis, and viewing an intractable problem from the perspective of a changed political landscape. It’s a story of people working in the bowels of big bureaucracies who know exactly how to fix big problems, but who are hamstrung until their bosses finally come around.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/crisis-helped-to-improve-port-authority-bus-terminal-1.1134880

Posted on 2 Comments

NJ Transit to test WiFi in Port Authority bus terminal

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog.net_

NJ Transit to test WiFi in Port Authority bus terminal
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author
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

Posted on Leave a comment

NJ Transit continues customer service improvements

Ridgewood-bus_terminal_theridgewoodblog.net_\

NJ Transit continues customer service improvements

By David Matthau November 10, 2014 12:05 AM
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

New Jersey Transit, the third largest transit system in the U.S., is continuing its efforts to improve customer service by seeking feedback from its rail and bus customers.

NJ Transit trains (Annette Petriccione, Townsquare Media NJ)

In 2011, the agency launched its Scorecard initiative, which  includes an online customer survey that gives riders the chance to rate NJ Transit’s overall performance in several areas including communication, rail and bus comfort, parking lot safety and customer service.

Customers are also able to offer suggestions for improvement, which NJ Transit said it uses to make meaningful management decisions.

“Soliciting customer feedback and getting customer satisfaction is now a top priority at NJ Transit. We encourage people to reach out to us with emails and through customer satisfaction surveys. If there’s something that we’re missing, we want to hear from our customers,” said William Smith, a spokesperson for NJ Transit.

One of the improvements made thanks to the customer service surveys is more accessibility to Wi-Fi.  “A program has been launched to offer Wi-Fi at many train stations across the state. Currently there are 40 rail stations that are on-air, and by the end of the year, another 30 stations will be added to the network,” Smith said.

Read More: NJ Transit continues customer service improvements | https://nj1015.com/nj-transit-continues-customer-service-improvements/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on Leave a comment

NJ Transit, lawmakers hear about PA terminal

url

NJ Transit, lawmakers hear about PA terminal

What is truly astonishing is the total lack of knowledge of the plight of N/NJ commuters by politicians and the total ignorance of the near “shit hole conditions” of the Port Authority bus terminal over the last 40 years . These same people namely State Sen. Loretta Weinberg who were also stumped by traffic jams on the GWB.


JUNE 3, 2014, 8:18 AM
BY KAREN RO– USE
STAFF WRITER
NORTHJERSEY.COM

Over the years, they have vented to family, co-workers and seat-mates about the arduous evening commute out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan that seemed to be getting worse. And on social media, they discovered there were others just like them – fellow NJ Transit commuters on the verge of revolt over hourlong waits with seemingly little explanation from on-site representatives at the terminal.

Now those bus commuters have gotten the attention of NJ Transit officials – and state legislators. State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson will hold a public hearing on Port Authority Bus Terminal conditions on June 11 at the Richard Rodda Community Center, 250 Colonial Court, Teaneck.

The hearing is from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“We wanted to make sure in a most public way that NJ Transit and the Port Authority are well aware of the problems,” Weinberg said. “We’ve been hearing from our constituents.” She said they want to put pressure on the agency to alleviate the poor conditions at the terminal, where customers can be forced to stand for more than an hour at a gate awaiting their buses.

Customers have no place to sit and say there is no one providing updates or explanations as to why their buses are late or when they will arrive.

“It is a disaster,” Weinberg said. “Can you imagine having to commute to New York and you get finished with a day’s work and you have to go through that?”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/sympathetic-ear-for-bus-commuters-1.1027986#sthash.7FalZKBI.dpuf

Posted on 18 Comments

Reader says: Let’s take a lesson from NJ Transit and install GPS tracking devices on all Village of Ridgewood owned vehicles.

 

leaf3_pickup_theridgewoodblog.net_1

file photo Boyd Loving

Reader says:  Let’s take a lesson from NJ Transit and install GPS tracking devices on all Village of Ridgewood owned vehicles.

NJ Transit disciplines 10 workers after using GPS to root out fraud, waste and abuse

MAY 5, 2014, 10:07 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 5, 2014, 10:49 PM
BY KAREN RO– USE
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Ten NJ Transit employees have been disciplined — including three who were fired and one who was suspended for 30 days — after the agency installed GPS tracking devices in its vehicles as part of a $500,000 program to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse.

NJ Transit is among a growing number of public and private entities turning to GPS — the Global Positioning System, a technology that relies on satellite and radio signals – to track vehicles and employee productivity and behavior. The agency outfitted 480 vehicles with the technology. The New Jersey Department of Transportation more than two years ago installed GPS on its maintenance fleet to keep tabs on where vehicles are located, as well as when drivers are speeding or parked for too long. And Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop announced last year that the city would install GPS in public works vehicles to increase accountability and save fuel.

“This was a proactive, cost-savings initiative taken by NJ Transit,” said NJ Transit spokesman John Durso Jr., who confirmed the disciplinary actions after an inquiry from The Record.

Durso said that in the roughly six months since GPS was installed, the agency has already seen a dramatic drop in usage of its fleet, which includes such vehicles as the Toyota Prius, Ford Focus, Jeep Liberty and Dodge Stratus.

“This includes a 40 percent drop in hours used, and a 31 percent drop in gallons of fuel used,” Durso said.

He said the fleet logged 108,655 hours from January to March of 2013, compared with 68,069 hours for the same three-month period in 2014. Fuel usage, meanwhile, dropped from 9,314 gallons to 7,099 for the period.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-transit-disciplines-10-workers-after-using-gps-to-root-out-fraud-waste-and-abuse-1.1009385#sthash.49XmcXKx.dpuf

Posted on Leave a comment

Woman Calling NJ TRANSIT Customer Service Reaches Dating Line Instead

dont-say-thank-you-with-a-phone-call-things-could-get-awkward

Woman Calling NJ TRANSIT Customer Service Reaches Dating Line Instead
April 24, 2014 2:47 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A woman who intended to dial a NJ TRANSIT help line instead reached a very different kind of hotline. She called a hotline number posted on a customer information poster at the rest area, but instead heard a sex chat line message.

As WCBS 880′s Levon Putney reported, the woman was at the Vince Lombardi rest area on Wednesday morning when a self-serve kiosk at the park-and-ride ate her credit card.

She called a hotline number posted on a customer information poster at the rest area, but instead heard a sex chat line message.

“Welcome to America’s hottest talk line. Ladies, to talk to interesting and exciting guys free, press one now. Guys, hot ladies are waiting to talk to you, press two to connect free now,” the recording on the other end said.

“We regret the customer’s experience. It was an old sign that should have been removed long ago. It was brought to our attention, we addressed it immediately,” NJ TRANSIT spokesperson Nancy Snyder told Putney.

The transit agency surrendered the number in question in 2008. The phone company apparently reassigned it.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/04/24/woman-calling-nj-transit-customer-service-reaches-dating-line-instead/

Posted on 2 Comments

New NJ Transit chief may be looking to shake up agency’s leadership

-1

New NJ Transit chief may be looking to shake up agency’s leadership

TUESDAY MARCH 4, 2014, 8:53 PM
BY  KAREN RO– USE
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Just days into her new job, NJ Transit’s new executive director may be shaking up the agency’s leadership, even while inviting rank-and-file employees to share their ideas for making the troubled organization work better.

“There are no ‘sacred cows,’” Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim said in a special message that went out to employees on Monday, her first full week into the job. “I want to know what works and what doesn’t – and in a constructive fashion, we can build a better, more efficient and more results-driven organization.”

Sources close to the agency said that employees welcomed her greeting, and that Hakim was already taking steps to change the organization, including asking Kevin O’Connor, vice president of the agency’s rail division, and Joyce Gallagher, the head of the bus division, to step down.

NJ Transit spokesman John Durso Jr. did not return a phone call seeking comment. Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson on Monday said he could not comment on any leadership changes, but that Gallagher and O’Connor were still working at the agency.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/New_NJ_Transit_chief_may_be_looking_to_shake_up_agencys_leadership.html#sthash.G0gQuwUs.dpuf

Posted on 1 Comment

NJ Transit scrambling to protect its logos after trademarks lapsed in error

NJTransitLogo

NJ Transit scrambling to protect its logos after trademarks lapsed in error
Thursday January 30, 2014, 12:00 AM
BY  KAREN RO– USE
STAFF WRITER
The Record

NJ Transit is hurrying to register seven trademarks  — including its well-known orange, magenta and blue bands — with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because it failed to renew the marks before a 2012 deadline and a six-month grace period expired.

An official at the trademark office confirmed last week that one of NJ Transit’s most recognizable trademark slogans, “NJ TRANSIT The Way To Go,” accompanied by black and white bars, bands and lines, is among the marks canceled after lapsing for more than a year.

“They are applying [for a new registration], but nothing is registered,” spokesman Paul Fucito said.

This is not the first paperwork lapse at NJ Transit: Three years ago, the agency’s website, NJTransit.com, was shut down by its Web hosting company because the agency failed to pay its domain name fee. And while this instance is not as noticeable to the public and is not likely to result in the agency losing its logos, it shows a lack of attention to detail at the agency, experts said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_Transit_scrambling_to_protect_its_logos_after_trademarks_lapsed_in_error.html#sthash.HxoiAP6z.dpuf

Posted on Leave a comment

NJ Transit’s problems continue days before Super Bowl XLVIII

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog.net_1

NJ Transit’s problems continue days before Super Bowl XLVIII
Wednesday, January 29, 2014    Last updated: Wednesday January 29, 2014, 6:45 PM
BY  KAREN RO– USE
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Wednesday’s drama wasn’t part of NJ Transit’s playbook.

Just days before Super Bowl, the agency tasked with transporting thousands of ticket-holding fans to the Super Bowl saw two trains break down, stranding more than 800 passengers, and problems with its website.

Train problems began at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday when a New York-bound train carrying 27 passengers stopped under the Hudson River as the result of a downed overhead wire and a loss of power, said NJ Transit Spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. The passengers were trapped in the tube for several hours as temperatures dropped.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Days_before_Super_Bowl_XLVIII_NJ_Transits_issues_continue_.html#sthash.AcdnGBSP.dpuf

Posted on Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT PILOTS REAL-TIME SERVICE INFORMATION FOR BUS CUSTOMERS

Ridgewood-bus_terminal_theridgewoodblog.net_

NJ TRANSIT PILOTS REAL-TIME SERVICE INFORMATION FOR BUS CUSTOMERS

MyBus Now pilot program begins on Mercer County-area bus routes on December 13
December 13, 2012

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT today announced the launch of MyBus Now, the agency’s first real-time service information system for bus customers, which will kick off December 13 as a pilot program on 16 Mercer County-area bus routes.

“The launch of the MyBus Now pilot program marks an important step toward systemwide implementation of this vital customer information tool,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. “With access to real-time bus location and arrival information literally at their fingertips, bus customers will be able to make informed decisions about their travel, even while on the go.”

MyBus Now will use “smart bus” technology to provide customers with access to real-time bus arrival estimates to a specific bus stop within a 30-minute window. Customers will be able to access the information in three ways: from a desktop computer through njtransit.com, from a web-enabled smartphone through the mobile version of njtransit.com, and via SMS-text messaging directly to their cell phones.

Starting Thursday, December 13, customers of bus routes that operate out of NJ TRANSIT’s Hamilton Garage will be able to use MyBus Now to access real-time service information. The 16 bus routes, which serve communities in Mercer County and parts of Somerset and Middlesex counties, include:

No. 600 Trenton-Plainsboro (U.S. 1 Corridor)
No. 601 The College of New Jersey-Trenton-Hamilton Marketplace
No. 602 Pennington-Trenton
No. 603 Mercer Mall-Hamilton Square-Yardville-Hamilton Marketplace
No. 604 East Trenton-Trenton Transit Center
No. 605 Montgomery Township-Princeton-Quaker Bridge Mall
No. 606 Princeton-Mercerville-Hamilton Marketplace
No. 607 Ewing-Trenton-Independence Plaza
No. 608 Hamilton-West Trenton
No. 609 Ewing-Quaker Bridge Mall
No. 610 Trenton-Princeton Seasonal Service
No. 611 Trenton-River View Plaza Circulator
No. 612 Lawrence-West Windsor
No. 613 Mercer Mall-Hamilton Square-Yardville-Hamilton Marketplace
No. 619 Ewing-Quaker Bridge Mall-Mercer County College
No. 655 Princeton-Plainsboro
NJ TRANSIT selected Hamilton Garage for the pilot program because the relatively small size of its operations and the fact that none of its bus routes intersect with other garages provide an ideal testing environment. The pilot will enable NJ TRANSIT to address any issues with the system prior to a full systemwide rollout in spring 2013.

NJ TRANSIT is currently taking delivery of 1,145 new buses that are already equipped with smart bus technology provided by Clever Devices LTD. In addition, NJ TRANSIT has procured additional smart bus platforms to retrofit the remaining buses in the agency’s fleet, including those on routes operated by private carriers under contract to NJ TRANSIT.

The Clever Devices platform offers many operational and customer benefits, including automatic bus stop announcements, vehicle condition monitoring, passenger counting and real-time location reporting. The data provided through this technology will allow for greater efficiency in terms of scheduling, planning and maintenance of the NJ TRANSIT bus network.

MyBus Now builds on NJ TRANSIT’s “MyBus” system, which launched in October 2010. Based on a system of bus stop ID numbers—unique five-digit numbers NJ TRANSIT has assigned to each of its bus routes—MyBus enables customers who have cell phones with SMS (text messaging) capabilities to receive bus schedule information for a specific stop directly to their cell phones. Customers can optain their bus stop ID online at njtransit.com, or from MyBus signs posted at bus stops statewide.