Tag: Ridgewood Bus Station

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NJ TRANSIT Offers Extra Service for New Years Eve

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December 29,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Alcohol ban strictly enforced system-wide

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service for travelers attending New Year’s Eve festivities across the region.  Please note that no alcoholic beverages will be permitted on board trains, light rail vehicles, buses or in any NJ TRANSIT facility.  This policy will be strictly enforced by the NJ TRANSIT Police Department on New Year’s Eve and after midnight.

On New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31, rail service will operate on a weekday schedule with the following modifications:

Before 6 p.m., the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule with certain morning peak period trains cancelled and additional mid-to-late morning service on each line. Extra mid-day Midtown Direct service will also operate between Summit and New York.

After 6 p.m., additional New York-bound trips will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines. In addition, all trains that normally depart New York and Hoboken between 11:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. will be cancelled to support later service to customers returning from New York’s festivities. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, including special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning. For more information, click HERE.

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 and Jersey City Waterfront 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.  For more information, click HERE.

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.  For more information, click HERE.

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.  For more information for HBLR service, click HERE.

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

After midnight (early January 1), additional late-night trains will operate on most rail lines with one-seat ride service available on certain Raritan Valley Line and North Jersey Coast Line trains. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, including special printable schedules that cover the period from 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s morning. Expanded bus service will be provided from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) until approximately 2 a.m. on selected routes.  Visit njtransit.com for details.

On New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, after 5 a.m., trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule.  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 Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3, trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule on all lines, with an additional train operating Sunday only on the Port Jervis Line. In addition, Meadowlands service will operate for the Giants vs. Philadelphia game on January 3. Customers should visit njtransit.com for details, especially those traveling to the Meadowlands for the 1 p.m. kickoff time. Buses will operate on a weekend 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. Please consult njtransit.com for additional details.

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Mass Transit : Back to the Future ,old plans are new again

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file photo by Boyd Loving

A train delay for the ages; increasing service in Bergen County among several stalled plans

NOVEMBER 29, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2015, 12:27 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

In May 1928, a group of forward thinkers in New York City drew a map of North Jersey that envisioned passenger trains running from Englewood to Jersey City on an existing set of railroad tracks, part of a network they confidently named the “Ultimate Suburban Rapid Transit Plan.”

At 1 p.m. on a Thursday this month, 86 years later, three powerful New Jersey senators gathered in a conference room overlooking the same tracks to demand a return of passenger trains to the line.

“This is a project that should have happened years ago,” state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, said of the project, known as the “Northern Branch.”

Bringing more rail service to Bergen County may be North Jersey’s most stubborn transportation dream. Even now, depending on how one counts, there are between six and 11 efforts to return passenger service to historic train lines. And although passenger trains, bus lines and highways have spread across the region in the post-World War II era, people here have pushed, planned, schemed and begged for even more commuter rail, either to reduce traffic congestion or to connect places that are difficult to reach by mass transit. And the problem grows more acute the closer one gets to New York City. For densely populated towns in eastern Bergen County, like Englewood, Fort Lee and Tenafly, trains simply are not an option, as state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, often points out.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/a-train-delay-for-the-ages-increasing-service-in-bergen-county-among-several-stalled-plans-1.1464237

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New Jersey Transit offers Extra bus and Rail Service to Thanksgiving Travelers

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November 22,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, Whether it’s over the river or through the woods, NJ TRANSIT is offering additional trains and buses this Thanksgiving holiday weekend to make it even easier for customers to unite with family and friends, travel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, or get started on holiday shopping at various malls throughout the state.  Plus, feel free to bring your holiday helpers as kids ride free* the entire long weekend!

NJ TRANSIT will once again offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Wednesday, November 25, for the benefit of customers leaving work early, and to provide additional capacity for customers traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport.  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year at Newark Airport’s rail station, with ridership levels about twice that of a typical weekday.  Customers are urged to purchase their tickets early – round trip preferably – to avoid lines or download NJ TRANSIT’s new App available free at the App Store and Google Play.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains and buses to the schedule in the morning and midday hours to accommodate customers traveling to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Then on Friday, November 27, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, enhanced bus service will be offered to shopping centers throughout New Jersey and additional trains will operate to and from New York.

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, November 25, 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 Light Rail service will operate on a weekday schedule.  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 to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 and 68 bus routes from the Hudson River waterfront between noon and 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the traditional rush hour and later in the evening due to lower ridership.  Special holiday timetables are available on njtransit.com.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule.  To accommodate customers traveling to and from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—bus customers are advised to visit njtransit.com.  Selected bus routes will operate extra service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal for customers traveling to the parade.

Note:  Thanksgiving shoppers:  Service on the No. 111 bus route from New York to the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth will begin operating at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, November 26.  The No. 40 will operate on a special holiday schedule serving Jersey Gardens all night long.  Service on the No. 163, 171, 175 & 770 bus routes to Garden State Plaza in Paramus will operate on a Saturday schedule to serve the mall all day.

On Friday, November 27, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, 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 on Friday, due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains on Friday.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.  Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.  River Line will operate on a weekday schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit njtransit.com.

Extra bus service to New Jersey malls

Starting Friday, November 27 and continuing through December 26, NJ TRANSIT will offer additional bus service to major New Jersey shopping destinations to accommodate extended store hours and busy shopping times throughout the day.  Throughout the holiday shopping season, extra trips or expanded service will be offered on several bus routes serving malls and shopping centers throughout the state, including Garden State Plaza, IKEA Paramus, Jersey Gardens, Livingston Mall, Harmon Meadow/Mill Creek in Secaucus, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center Mall and West Belt Mall.

*Kids ride free on NJT

For the Thanksgiving holiday, NJ TRANSIT’s Family Super Saver Fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult, will be in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 25 until 6 a.m. Monday, November 30.

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N.J. Transit’s Homeless Brace for New Arrivals From New York

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November 16, 2015
Elise Young

As New York City cracks down on panhandling, towns served by New Jersey Transit’s busiest rail lines are in a homelessness crisis, with a surge of people taking shelter in train stations and other public places.

Total homelessness in New Jersey has dropped 27 percent since 2011, but an increasing number of people are avoiding shelters and sleeping in areas not intended as living quarters. In Bergen, Hudson and Essex counties, thick with Manhattan commuters, the unsheltered increase is 22 percent to 86 percent. In Mercer County, where Trenton’s bus and rail station is on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the number has more than doubled.

New York City’s homeless population, meanwhile, has soared, reaching a record of 60,670 staying in shelters in January, according to the Coalition for the Homeless, a Manhattan-based nonprofit service group. In recent weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio has led breakups of encampments, discouraged passers-by from handing over spare change and deployed more outreach workers to push shelters.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-16/n-j-transit-s-homeless-brace-for-new-arrivals-from-new-york

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Reader says sell more non-resident commuters parking passes to subsidize property taxes

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The Village used to have 120 non-resident commuter permits, but doubled non-resident permit rates because there was not enough space for these commuters. Currently there are very few non-resident commuters parking in the train station area. The Village plans to reduce the non-resident commuter rate to $875/year to increase that demand stream again.

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Port Authority officials expected to back proposal to move bus terminal one block west

NJT ticket machine

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, 7:06 AM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, 7:14 AM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Leading Port Authority officials today are expected to recommend building a new Manhattan bus terminal one block west of the current station, following months of deliberation over several options with price tags as high as $10 billion, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

The endorsement of a broad plan that includes a specific location for the new terminal and a way to keep commuter buses running during construction would be a significant step in the long-running effort to replace the current 1950s-era mass transit facility with a modern alternative. But more time is needed to determine the new building’s design, the precise cost and how to finance it, said the three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to preempt a presentation planned for today’s meeting of commissioners.

In March, in response to increasing calls to address the condition of the world’s busiest bus terminal, commissioners were given five options for replacing it. They ranged widely in estimated cost and in their impact on the bus system, depending on where the new terminal would sit and whether the current one would stay open during construction.

A four-commissioner group that considered the five options is expected to recommend that the bi-state agency build a new terminal between Ninth and Tenth avenues, keeping the current terminal on Eighth Avenue open during construction.

Once the new structure is up and running, the old terminal would be demolished and the development rights for the property, located on 42nd Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, would be sold to help pay for the project. The location of the new terminal would force commuters connecting to the New York City subway system to walk one block, the three people said, whereas direct connections are possible through the current building

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/port-authority-officials-expected-to-back-proposal-to-move-bus-terminal-one-block-west-1.1417389

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5 ways commuting ruins your life

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file photo by Boyd Loving
By Quentin Fottrell

Published: Sept 9, 2015 5:45 a.m. ET

Hours spent driving can wreck finances, health, and marriage

There’s one more reason to love Paris in the Fall. On Sept. 27, Paris will go car-free for one day. In an effort to address the city’s concerns about worsening pollution, the inaugural “Paris Sans Voiture” will free up everywhere from the Left Bank to the Champ Élysées for pedestrians and cyclists.

Around 2.2 million U.S. workers have a daily commute of at least an hour to and from work, according to the “American Community Survey” by the U.S. Census, and 600,000 full-time workers are so-called super-commuters, spending 90 minutes and traveling 50 miles to get to work every day. In fact, more people drove 50 miles or more this past Labor Day Weekend than they had since 2008, and more Americans arewasting time stuck in traffic.

“Many people aren’t aware of how much they actually spend on commuting,” says Rob Perks, transportation campaign director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit environmental advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The NRDC found that commuters spend $2,180 per year on maintaining a car and paying for gas to get to and from work in urban areas and $3,347 in the suburbs, while rural commuters spend $4,272 a year. Those who don’t commute to work only spend $1,857 a year.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-ways-commuting-ruins-your-life-2013-07-30

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NJT Spells out Service Changes for the Papal Visit to both New York and Philadelphia

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September 15,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, On Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25, NJ TRANSIT will have service in place to accommodate customers heading to New York, particularly during the evening hours and continuing through the end of the Papal event at Madison Square Garden. We are adding additional bus service on New York-bound routes and adjusting some of our rail service to provide more seats during hours when customers will need them the most. Service to Hoboken also is an option and allows convenient connections with PATH and NY Waterway services to and from New York.

NJ TRANSIT will offer limited special service on its Atlantic City Rail Line and River LINE for people attending the World Meeting of Families and Papal visit on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2015. The service is limited in order to keep crowd numbers consistent with the maximum capacity that will be available.

During the weekend of September 26 and 27, 2015, NJ TRANSIT regular tickets will NOT be accepted and we will NOT be operating regular weekend service on either the Atlantic City Rail Line or the River LINE. Special tickets are available for people planning to ride the Atlantic City Rail Line and River LINE as the lines will operate on a limited schedule only on both days. Customers need to purchase their tickets in advance of this weekend. No one will be allowed to ride without a SPECIAL EVENT ticket and no tickets will be sold on Saturday, September 26 or Sunday, September 27. No other fares, including monthly passes, Family SuperSaver or cash, will be accepted on the Atlantic City Rail Line or River LINE.

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Port Authority Bus Terminal New Gate Assignments Starts September 8th

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August 31,2015

the staff of the Riidgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) is undergoing gate changes in an effort to further improve access and service to all bus customers – those of NJ TRANSIT as well as the independent carriers. This reorganization builds upon the ongoing cooperative efforts of the Port Authority of NY & NJ, NJ TRANSIT and the independent carriers to improve operations, efficiency and the overall customer experience at the terminal.

Building upon our previous initiatives, such as the addition of WiFi service, expansion of MyTix, and the improved reliability of service and reduced wait times during the PM peak commuting hours, further operational improvements are necessary to address congestion in the terminal that often occurs due to multiple carriers sharing common areas of the platform queues.

To enhance operation and control within PABT, carriers will be consolidated into specific areas of the terminal, which will make it easier for customers to find their specific carrier, minimize traffic conflicts and improve flow to alleviate customer congestion on platforms. This will offer a more streamlined experience since most routes and personnel within a given area are from the same carrier.

The reorganization of gates at PABT will further improve on-time performance, resulting in shorter customer queues and wait times in the terminal. It will also offer greater operational flexibility and faster recovery time when delays and disruptions do occur. Please refer to the charts included here to find your new gate assignments.

NJ TRANSIT gate changes effective 9/8/15.

Bus Departures

For information on the Port Authority Bus Terminal and a terminal map, go to https://www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/pabt-terminal-guide.html

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Port Authority bus depot: the great gate reshuffle

NJT ticket machine

AUGUST 10, 2015, 6:19 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015, 7:39 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

After Labor Day, about a third of commuters rushing to the Port Authority Bus Terminal after work will have to get used to racing toward different bus gates.

The Port Authority is reassigning 40 bus routes, affecting six of the facility’s 21 bus carriers, as part of a plan to improve operational efficiency at the aged terminal, Port Authority administrators announced Monday.

That could lead to less crowding and easier commutes home, they said.

The gate reassignments will happen as the bistate agency consolidates its bus operations, making it easier for the facility’s largest carriers — NJ Transit and Coach USA — to operate, which hopefully will translate into a smoother commute, said Diannae Ehler, general manager of the Lincoln Tunnel and Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The facility has never seen permanent gate reassignments on this scale —  “This is an extremely ambitious change to undertake,” Ehler said.

In a statement, NJ Transit Executive Director Veronique Hakim said the change will improve commutes by giving the carrier its own dedicated service area, shortening customers’ waiting time and streamlining the platform queuing process. Coach USA Executive Vice President Don Carmichael, also in a statement, said the realignment will allow Coach also to improve its efficiency.

The changes will affect about 30 percent of weekday passengers at the terminal for some routes of these carriers: NJ Transit, Lakeland and DeCamp, and Coach’s Community, Shortline and Rockland lines. Around 220,000 use the facility daily.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/latest-bid-to-better-port-authority-bus-depot-the-great-gate-reshuffle-1.1390259

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NJ Transit Votes “Yes” to first Fare increase in 5 years effective October 1st

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The board also adopted a fare and service plan which includes an average 9% increase in fares

NJ TRANSIT ADOPTS FISCAL YEAR 2016 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS

NEWARK, NJ — The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today adopted a Fiscal Year 2016 (FY 2016) operating budget and capital program that supports continued investments in infrastructure and equipment to maintain the system in a state of good repair and enhance the overall customer experience.

The board also adopted a fare and service plan which includes an average 9% increase in fares, with no customer paying more than 9.4% after rounding, and modest changes for rail and bus service.

“NJ TRANSIT is moving forward with a balanced budget that reflects a laser-like look at individual business lines in order to maximize efficiencies and maintain a safe transportation system,” NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim, said. “As transit professionals, we owed our customers and stakeholders a good-faith effort to present them a solid plan that had the least impact on our riders.  After much hard work, I am confident we delivered on that.”

The Board adopted a $2.116 billion operating budget and a $2.099 billion capital program for the fiscal year that started July 1, 2015.

Nearly half of the revenue in the FY 2016 operating budget comes from fares ($1.005 billion), supported by a comparable amount from state and federal program reimbursements ($961.8 million) with the balance from a combination of commercial revenues ($115.2 million) and state operating assistance ($33.2 million).

The capital program funds continued state-of-good-repair investments in transit stations and infrastructure supports an ongoing fleet modernization program and advances service reliability, safety and technology initiatives.

Operating Budget

The FY 2016 operating budget reflects an increase of state funding along with a stable level of federal and other reimbursements, which will enable NJ TRANSIT to meet the agency’s projected expenses this fiscal year.  Approximately 59 percent of the operating budget is dedicated to labor and fringe benefits costs.  Other significant expenses include contracted transportation services, fuel and power and materials, which together comprise approximately 27 percent of the operating budget.

This year’s operating budget reflects a $76.7 million (8.3 percent) growth in passenger revenue, based on the fare adjustment and ridership trends. Overall passenger revenue and commercial revenue represents approximately 53 percent of the total FY 2016 operating program.

Capital Program

The FY 2016 capital program continues to prioritize investment in infrastructure to maintain an overall state of good repair, enhance safety and reliability, and improve the overall customer experience on the system.

The program continues to invest in upgrades to the Northeast Corridor (NEC),
the agency’s most utilized rail line.  The NEC is allocated $61 million in FY 2016 as part of NJ TRANSIT’s ten-year, $1 billion Northeast Corridor investment program.

Highlights of the program include $82 million in rail station improvements:  $27 million for Summit Station improvements, $14 million for Elizabeth Station enhancements, $6 million for Perth Amboy Station improvements and high-level platform construction, $4 million for Newark Penn Station upgrades, $4 million to reconstruct Lyndhurst Station to make it accessible to persons with disabilities and $2 million for New Brunswick Station improvements.

The program also supports continued investment in rolling stock renewal, with $87 million invested in rail rolling stock improvements and $40 million toward the purchase of new buses.

In addition, the program is undertaking approximately $913 million in major capital projects that will help advance NJ TRANSIT’s resiliency to extreme weather events.

NJ TRANSITGRID, which will serve as an electrical micro-grid capable of supplying highly reliable power when the centralized power grid is compromised, is being funded through this effort as well as other projects including Delco Lead Train Safe Haven Storage and Service Restoration, Hoboken Long Slip Fill and Rail Enhancement, Train Controls Resiliency, and Raritan River Drawbridge Replacement.

Funding is also provided for technology and security upgrades, local programs, and rail, bus and light rail infrastructure improvements.

Approximately 42 percent of the capital budget comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Sandy Resiliency funds, with the balance coming from federal and other sources including 22% from the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF).

Fare and Service Adjustments

Throughout the past five years, NJ TRANSIT held the line on fare increases while maintaining high quality services and implementing new customer amenities including MyTix, Departurevision, and MyBus Now.

However, costs such as contract services – Access Link, the organization’s paratransit service, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and private carriers – and workers’ compensation, general liability insurance, healthcare and benefits, and pensions have steadily risen. As a result, NJ TRANSIT was left with a significant budget gap.

Although NJ TRANSIT identified more than $40 million in reductions in overtime, fuel savings, energy and vehicle parts efficiencies, the agency still faced an approximate $56 million budget gap for the 2016 fiscal year. To close the gap, fare and service adjustments were proposed and now approved. The fare adjustment will go into effect on October 1st.

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How many NJ Transit commuters have six-figure incomes and receive 9 percent salary increases?

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NJ Transit learns from best to waste money

To the Editor:

Not that long ago, top NJ Transit officials were forced to resign when the decisions they made to leave trains and locomotives exposedduring Hurricane Sandy resulted in $100 million in equipment damages.

Ronnie Hakim, the former New Jersey Turnpike Authority director, was brought on board as executive director to fill the void. The turnpike authority had an overtime scandal following 2013-2104 snowstorms. Apparently that wasn’t a deterrent to Hakim becoming a top NJ Transit official. It might even have worked in her favor: She could show the boys how it’s done.

Maybe you read a more recent article about NJ Transit. They have 1,000 employees making six-figure salaries. Excuse me — that’s 1,001 such employees  — because Michael Drewniak, Gov. Chris Christie’s former press secretary, just landed a job at NJ Transit paying $147,700. That policy-and-planning job was newly created just for him and didn’t require any transit experience. It’s just another made-to-order Trenton patronage job paid for with our transit dollars.

Does anyone in Trenton have oversight responsibility so they can require that  NJ Transit officials spend transit funds on actual transit projects? Or, will the revenue from the recent 9 percent fare hike provide additional patronage opportunities?

How many NJ Transit commuters have six-figure incomes and receive 9 percent salary increases?

What’s your guess?

CAROL RHODES

Barnsboro

 

https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/07/nj_transit_learns_from_best_to_waste_money_letter.html

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Strains on mass transit will get even worse as population in metro area grows, experts say

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BY NOLAN HICKS , DAN RIVOLI

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Sunday, June 28, 2015, 2:23 AM

All aboard for more mass transit misery.

New projections show the New York region’s population should reach 20.5 million people by 2020, further taxing the region’s already overcrowded and cash-strapped subway, bus and train systems.

The projections — calculated by the mapping service ESRI for The Associated Press — estimate the region is growing at a clip of almost 100,000 people annually. Long Island, Westchester County and much of northern New Jersey are included in the metro area.

The importance of these systems can’t be overstated: 31% of metro area commuters use transit to get to work, the U.S. Census estimates.

As the region’s population booms, the strains on mass transit are increasingly evident.

Overcrowding was the single biggest cause of delays on the New York subway system during the last year, MTA stats show. Ridership has also grown on NJ Transit and the PATH trains.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/growing-population-transit-worse-experts-article-1.2273743

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NJ Transit labor strife could hike fares further

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Riders on NJ Transit are already hopping mad about a proposed 9 percent fare increase. Hundreds of them have bombarded the agency since April with angry emails, letters and in-person testimonials opposing the move, which will fill a $56 million budget gap if approved three weeks from now by NJ Transit’s board members.

But what if this fare increase is only the beginning?  (Maag/The Record)

https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-transit-labor-strife-could-hike-fares-further-1.1362166

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New Jersey Transit Pay Soars as Commuters Tapped for 9% Fare Increase

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by Elise Young

With New Jersey Transit commuters facing higher fares amid a $120 million budget deficit, the agency is paying more to workers as it deals with equipment repairs and service disruptions.

Overtime at the nation’s third-biggest rail and bus operator climbed to $135.3 million last year, a 12 percent increase from 2011. During the same period, the ranks of New Jersey Transit workers paid at least $100,000 a year grew 20 percent, according to data on the state’s website. The costs were driven by service needs and emergencies, plus wages in union contracts, the agency says.

“I don’t know how you justify” higher fares, said Stephanie Dunstan, a 30-year-old Hamilton resident, as she waited on June 17 for the 6:55 a.m. train to Manhattan, where she works in insurance. “I know people who are getting raises of 2 percent, 3 percent.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-22/n-j-transit-pay-soars-as-commuters-tapped-for-9-fare-increase