Ridgewood NJ, In advance of the upcoming Amtrak track work at Penn Station New York (PSNY) during July and August, NJ TRANSIT has published new weekday rail schedules to assist customers in navigating the service changes and making their travel plans.
“More than 80 percent of NJ TRANSIT customers travel over a portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor at some point during their trip, so in essence, they are customers of Amtrak as well,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “In developing this service plan, the safety of every customer was the top priority. Not only is this plan the safest, but it maintains the maximum number of seats across the rail system.
Main/Bergen, Port Jervis Lines Serving Ridgewood and Pascack Valley will operate on regular weekday schedules, however, connecting PATH trains at Hoboken Terminal may be different.
Printable versions of the timetables can be found at a new dedicated information portal at njtransit.com/theupdate after 12 p.m. June 9, 2017. Weekend service will not be impacted.
To accommodate Amtrak’s track repairs in July and August at PSNY, NJ TRANSIT must implement service changes weekdays only between Monday, July 10th and Friday, September 1st.
NJ TRANSIT is strongly advising customers on all modes of transportation to remain aware of the status of the system by signing up for My Transit alerts, monitoring Twitter (@NJTRANSIT) and the website njtransit.com/theupdate.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m., NY Waterway Ferry will operate special service from Hoboken Terminal to W. 39th St. in Midtown Manhattan every 15 minutes. This special service will also operate in the afternoon peak hours between 4:00 p.m. (W. 39th St. Manhattan) and 8:00 p.m. All of these trips will accept NJ TRANSIT tickets and passes to/from Hoboken.
Ridgewood NJ, the New Jersey Department of Transportation will again weigh options on the Glenwood Road Rail Road Crossing at the Ho Ho Kus Train Station .
MEMORANDUM OF RECORD
Click Here for Memorandum of Record DOT Docket No. 06-2017CM; Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station Pedestrian Crossing DOT Docket No 1702016 CM
Click Here for Memorandum of Record DOT Docket No. 06-2017CM Warren Ave (Brookside Avenue)
Click Here for Memorandum of Record Ho-Ho-Kus Train Station Pedestrian Crossing
By Vince Calio, June 5, 2017 at 12:51 PM
Amtrak and NJ Transit would use a new Gateway tunnel under the Hudson River. – (AARON HOUSTON)
Private firms will be sought to help finance and construct the $20 billion rail tunnel connecting northern New Jersey and New York City.
During its June 1 board meeting, the Gateway Program Development Board approved a move to solicit private construction and finance companies to complete the project under a public-private partnership model. In a typical P3 procurement model, private financial institutions would raise part of the money for a public project through a combination of debt and direct equity infusions, and then hire outside construction firms to complete it.
If implemented, the procurement model could pump several billion dollars into both New York and New Jersey’s economy, said the board’s chairman, Richard Bagger, during the meeting.
Ridgewood NJ, its coming ,the modified Service Plan Due to Amtrak’s Summer Track Repair Work in Effect Monday, July 10 through Friday, September 1, 2017
NJ TRANSIT rail customers have been forced to deal with delays, derailments and unreliable service because Amtrak, which owns the tracks our service relies upon, has neglected the maintenance of its critical infrastructure for years. For three-quarters of NJ TRANSIT rail customers travel patterns will not be modified, including the Trenton to New York Northeast Corridor Line. However, delays on all rail lines, except for the Atlantic City Rail line, are inevitable.
Long overdue Amtrak track repair work will significantly disrupt travel this summer for customers who normally travel on the Morris & Essex Midtown Direct service to and from Penn Station New York. As a result, for their inconvenience, Morris & Essex Lines customers will receive about a 50 percent discount off the regular Hoboken ticket cost, in addition to cross-honoring with ferry and PATH service at Hoboken Terminal.
Below is the overall rail service plan for customers who will be traveling into Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal this summer.
NJ TRANSIT Service Plan for July 10th – September 1st The following weekday rail service plan will be in place continuously from July 10th through September 1st.
Midtown Direct trains on the Morristown Line will be diverted to Hoboken.
Midtown Direct trains on the Gladstone Branch will be diverted to Hoboken.
All Midtown Direct trains on the Montclair-Boonton Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
All Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
Raritan Valley Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with adjustments to PSNY schedules. Main/Bergen, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Lines will operate on regular weekday schedules however customers may need to adjust their connections to New York at Secaucus.
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi shares a commuter update from New Jersey Transit.
COMMUTER UPDATE from NJ Transit:
NJ TRANSIT has heard from our customers that their lives have been turned upside down by the almost daily delays resulting from Amtrak’s emergency repair work that is going on at Penn Station New York (PSNY). This is before the continuous summer work that Amtrak will perform in July and August.
Amtrak has acknowledged that it must do extensive and disruptive work to its tracks and infrastructure at PSNY this summer due to years of its neglect. NJ TRANSIT has challenged Amtrak to make the necessary repairs and Amtrak maintains this work must be done now.
Amtrak’s summer repair and renewal work will reduce the number of trains that NJ TRANSIT can send in-and-out-of PSNY, particularly during peak periods. With Amtrak taking out multiple tracks that NJ TRANSIT uses every single day, NJ TRANSIT developed a modified summer rail schedule that will be in effect from July 10th through September 1st. The location and extent of Amtrak’s work means that instead of being able to send 21 trains into New York during the busiest hours of the morning rush, NJ TRANSIT will send 15.
Even under these constraints, NJ TRANSIT’s experienced transportation service planners were able to develop a service plan that allows three-quarters of our customers to continue to experience their regular travel pattern into New York. Nearly all customers traveling on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Main/Bergen and the Port Jervis Lines will continue their same travel pattern as they do today.
However, there is an impact to having fewer trains per-hour into New York during this two-month period; some of NJ TRANSIT’s customers will move to a two-seat ride into-and out-of Manhattan each weekday.
Recognizing the inconvenience of the affected customers on the Morris & Essex Lines, they will be charge much lower fares – 50 to 63 percent less than the price they usually pay for tickets and passes. To provide the maximum number of travel options, we are also developing a strategic increase to bus service in affected areas; light rail service will be adjusted and NJ TRANSIT will offer free cross-honoring with PATH and the ferries.
Customers will see a robust communication campaign in concert with the release of schedules and travel alternatives the first full week of June through all traditional and social media outlets available to us. NJ TRANSIT employee ambassadors will be out at key terminals including Penn Station, Hoboken, Newark and other locations beginning next month, to answer questions and hand out information to help prepare customers for the continuous Amtrak outages that will impact them this summer.
For the summer, NJ TRANSIT has insisted on having a Joint Station Operations Center at PSNY for better crowd management and customer communication. NJ TRANSIT has also insisted Amtrak have rescue engines crewed and ready to respond if there is a breakdown or disruption this summer, to keep one delayed train from creating a cascade of misery for the customers on many other trains.
NJ TRANSIT also insisted on a number of other steps to benefit New Jersey customers this summer, including:
· That the west end concourse at PSNY be opened for NJ TRANSIT customers.
· That the blanket 10 mph speed restriction now in place near PSNY be lifted prior to July 10.
· That NJ TRANSIT is allowed to perform field inspections of the renewal work.
· That Amtrak provide daily written progress reports.
· And that an NJ TRANSIT representative be involved in day-to-day dispatching decisions.
Longer term, NJ TRANSIT will demand that New Jersey have more input on Amtrak’s priorities for repair and replacement of infrastructure, to ensure that state of good repair efforts – those projects most directly tied to the safe and reliable service, are being advanced where they are needed most, so that NJ TRANSIT’s customers can have safe, reliable service, day in and day out.
I go through this torture every day but I would beg Trump to not supply a penny to this corrupt empire of NY/NJ. This morning (Monday) Josh Gothheimer was making rounds on the train to Secaucus. This guy was “randomly” asking passengers about their feelings on NJ transit. Once he realized he was talking to a liberal he would prolong the conversation and take notes. I hate these politicians so much that I want to spit right in their face. They have found a goldmine in the naive population of NJ. How can they raise fares and provide a terrible service without any public protests is beyond me. These people who make the majority of commuters do not lift a finger when it comes to their money and life but are ready to shut down anyone who expresses an honest opinion. They would rather get screwed by their own politicians than say a single word.
Governor Cuomo turned to President Trump on Sunday to help bail New Yorkers out of a looming mass transit crisis at Penn Station, a situation he likened to a natural disaster.
In a letter to Trump dated May 21, Cuomo requested “the federal government treat this as an emergency situation” and asked Trump to provide funding for construction and transportation alternatives, as well as for a long-term solution.
“While this is not a hurricane or flood it will affect as many people and businesses with dire consequences,” Cuomo continues. “Like a natural disaster, we didn’t create it but our public offices require we address it.”
New Jersey Transit, one of the nation’s busiest commuter railroads, has been flogged by riders who have suffered through a brutal stretch of travel upheavals. The railroad’s safety record is under scrutiny after a fatal derailment last year.
Now, questions are being raised about how it handles a basic task: ensuring riders pay their fares.
More than 240,000 fares were not collected on New Jersey Transit last year because trains were crowded and understaffed, according to a letter sent in March to the railroad’s executive director from the union representing conductors. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, said uncollected fares could represent more than $5.5 million in lost revenue.
Kelly Langschultz, a Republican candidate for the state Senate in Bergen County, is calling on NJ Transit to slash its fares during the coming season of repairs and service outages at New York Penn Station.
“NJ Transit needs to reduce the cost of their ticket prices and start accommodating riders for the decline in service,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “We have plenty of people here who have already spent hundreds of dollars on monthly passes, and now we’re learning that there will be even further interruptions in service.”
Amtrak is conducting urgent track repairs this summer, planned for July 7 to July 25 and Aug. 4 to Aug. 28, according to a draft plan. At least five of Penn Station’s 21 tracks would be affected by the August repairs and NJ Transit riders are expected to face long delays and service outages. Amtrak, which owns and operates Penn Station, says it has no choice but to fix the tracks after two recent derailments at the station.
MORE TICKET OPTIONS AND IMPROVED NAVIGATION FOR NJ TRANSIT MOBILE APP
May 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT’s latest mobile app upgrade has a redesigned look that brings additional features and functionality to the home page screen. Bus customers also will be able to use the app to purchase one-way, round-trip and discounted 10-trip tickets. In addition, the enhancements provide customers with service alerts and service information for specific train stations or bus stops at a glance.
The new app will be available to Android users first with iOS release to follow, possibly within two weeks. NJ TRANSIT is rolling out the new version so that it can make any needed refinements before it is available to its larger customer base of iOS users.
“Technology continues to evolve and with that, NJ TRANSIT is continually working to improve our customers’ experience with our app,’’ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Steven H. Santoro. “I heard first hand from our customers that they also want service information right on the app – this version does just that.”
“Our mobile app users also demand a clean, functional interface, and this redesigned look provides for one-tap access to each of the most popular features. We are proud to be an industry leader in mobile ticketing, and we will continue to look for ways to put the latest technology in the hands of our customers,’’ Santoro added.
Visually, the crisp look features a new home screen with a tile layout, larger buttons, and clearer colors for easier viewing and selection of the options. Tiles provide access to tickets, train schedules, DepartureVision and MyBus right from the home screen. A Quick Buy tile provides for one-tap purchases of favorite tickets. DepartureVision and MyBus will display and auto refresh right on the home screen.
Additionally, DepartureVision and MyBus information on the home screen are auto populated based upon your favorites.
NJ TRANSIT bus customers can now purchase monthly passes, discounted 10-trips, roundtrip and one-way tickets for both interstate and intrastate travel.
The use of mobile ticketing through the MyTIX program has grown steadily since its introduction in 2013 and now has more than 1.25 million customer accounts.
The NJ TRANSIT mobile app is available for free download on any web-enabled iOS or Android device. To purchase tickets, customers simply install the app and create an account, which will securely save a customer’s profile information and purchase history.
I am curious why this plan was not considered less than eight years ago when the train station parking lot was last altered. Did Chris R not think it was a good idea then, was it never considered? Parking was surely an issue 10 years ago. Why are we considering renovations to a parking lot that was so recently modified – are we admitting that it wasn’t done very well, or at least did not maximize parking back then? Perhaps this was considered and determined to be a bad idea.
Would like to see the town engineers at the parking lot at 7am and again between 6 and 7pm when the traffic is at it’s highest. Adding more cars will only serve to create more gridlock at the traffic light on Ridgewood Ave. If more cars are added maybe something could be done to the traffic light to allow the cars to get out of the parking lot when trains arrive.
First, I want to thank you for your continued patience and understanding during the recent and ongoing delays to your train service, especially traveling in and out of Penn Station New York.
These delays have caused considerable frustration, inconvenience and stress for many of you as you travel to work, appointments, events and then back home. Traveling on NJ TRANSIT should be the easy part of your day, not the most challenging.
We share your frustration and are committed to earning back your trust. I personally met with Amtrak’s CEO recently to discuss the importance of NJ TRANSIT having a voice at the table around prioritization of track and other maintenance, tunnel evacuation protocols, customer flow at Penn Station New York among other topics. These issues are important to NJ TRANSIT, have a direct impact on you our customers, and must be addressed.
If you have experienced delays that have compromised your work situation, please stop by one of our Customer Service offices and pick up a delay letter for your employer. You also can obtain a letter by visiting our website and clicking here to access our Contact Us form on the website.
I will work every day to ensure that we do everything we can to improve your trip, and sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you, your families and fellow commuters may have experienced in recent days.
Thank you for remaining a loyal NJ TRANSIT customer.
New Jersey’s next governor stands to inherit a still-stalled plan to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, a transit system racked recently by maintenance and safety issues. and a driving public unhappy about recent gas tax increases.
| April 29, 2017, at 9:22 a.m.
By MICHAEL CATALINI, Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s next governor stands to inherit a still-stalled plan to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, a transit system racked by recent maintenance and safety issues, and a driving public unhappy about gas tax increases.
The issues were highlighted this week after Amtrak announced repair work at New York’s Penn Station that would stretch rail delays into the summer and after state transportation officials hailed an eight-year funding plan financed by a gas tax hike during a hearing before New Jersey’s Democrat-led Legislature.
New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with governor races this year.
Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is term limited and can’t seek re-election, has remained on the defensive over his 2010 decision to scrap a trans-Hudson rail project. That project’s successor, called Gateway, has broad support but an uncertain funding source.
But Christie has gone on the offense against Amtrak and all but declared victory, saying that Amtrak’s plans to repair tracks satisfied his demands that the railway certify its tracks before the state resumes making nearly $200 million monthly maintenance payments.
Christie’s ultimatum came after recent derailments at the station.
By Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 28, 2017 at 9:59 AM, updated April 28, 2017 at 4:33 PM
Frustrated NJ Transit commuters have been circulating fliers on trains and waging a nascent social media campaign dubbed “NoPayMay” to encourage rail riders to attempt to use April monthly passes next month as a form of protest.
A flier left on a New Jersey Transit train on Friday morning, imploring customers not to pay for their May monthly pass.Larry Higgs/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The #NoPayMay movement comes after weeks of delayed trains, two derailments and other mishaps that have left commuters at their breaking point.
Though hundreds of tweets on Twitter implore riders not to purchase a new monthly rail passes for May, one commuter noted that a conductor said that anyone who tries to use an old ticket will face arrest.
Ridgewood NJ, NJT reminder , delays Estimated at 30 Minutes in/out of New York due to Amtrak Track Maintenance, Track Inspection & Speed Restrictions this Weekend – April 29-30, 2017
Resulting in Possible Delays for Raritan Valley Customers during this Weekend’s Busing Service between Cranford and Union Stations
For Amtrak service delays, click HERE.
For Raritan Valley weekend busing service info, click HERE.
THIS WEEKEND (Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30), NJ TRANSIT rail service in/out of New York should anticipate estimated delays of 30 minute due to Amtrak track maintenance, track inspection and speed restrictions.
As a result, Raritan Valley Line customers may experience delays this weekend during the planned outage due to NJ TRANSIT and Conrail’s track and switch maintenance work between Cranford and Roselle Park stations.
During this time, buses will replace trains between Cranford and Union stations. Conrail work is scheduled to be completed at 7:30 Sunday, April 30.
PLEASE NOTE: This weekend, Raritan Valley customers can expect train delays in and out of New York due to Amtrak track maintenance, track inspection and speed restrictions. Customers should anticipate estimated 30 minute delays as some tracks may become out of service from time to time. Please allow for extra travel time.
PLEASE NOTE – SYSTEMWIDE CROSS-HONORING: This Weekend ONLY, NJ TRANSIT rail tickets and passes will be cross-honored on NJ TRANSIT Bus, Light Rail, Private Carriers and with PATH at Newark Penn Station, New York-33rd Street and Hoboken.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.
For further information, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and5 p.m. daily.
