Chasing New Jersey Chases the NJT 167

Chasing NJ seen on WWOR-TV Channel 9 weeknights at 10PM reported on Senator Loretta Weinberg's continued crusade to improve conditions for NJ Commuters at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  Reporter Hank Flynn took a ride on the 167 from Glenpointe in Teaneck to the midtown terminal and back.  To no surprise, the first bus was a no show.  Click here to read the story and watch the video.  We continue to applaud Senator Weinberg for her advocacy for NJ commuters as well as Chasing NJ's coverage of the story.

December 11 Bus Rider Forum in Teaneck

Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson are hosting another Bus Rider Forum in Teaneck at the Richard Rodda Community Center on Thursday December 11 from 7:30-9:00 PM to address issues at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  Representatives from the Port Authority and NJ Transit will also be there to answer questions.


Officials have recently changed the flow of buses at the terminal giving them 45 minutes to reach the terminal for the afternoon rush instead of 90 minutes to alleviate some of the congestion.  What do riders think?  Have conditions improved at the bus terminal?

Three Routes Picked for Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit

Bergen County and NJ Transit have picked three potential new routes for a new Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit system.  As we have been reporting, the County and NJ Transit have been studying a Bus Rapid Transit System and have now narrowed the original nine proposed routes down to three. The routes are:

• Montvale Park and Ride to the Secaucus Junction Rail Station via Paramus Park, Bergen Community College and Garden State Plaza.
• Paramus Park Mall to the Secaucus Junction Rail Station via Bergen Community College, Garden State Plaza and Hackensack.
• Englewood Hospital to Paterson via Hackensack and Garden State Plaza.

More details about these routes are available here.  Some of the routes that weren't picked for implementation travelled from Bergen County to New York City.  Officials cited overcrowding at the Port Authority as part of the reason these routes weren't picked.

We welcome any new transportation initiatives for Northern New Jersey but we think alleviating the trans-hudson commuting issues should still be a top priority for NJ Transit. 

Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit Meeting - Nov. 13

There will be a meeting for the proposed Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit System on November 14, 2014 at the Hackensack Campus of Bergen Community College.  Information about the meeting is available here.  As we previously reported, Bergen County is studying the possibility of creating a Bus Rapid Transit system.  A proposed route map is available here. 

Vintage Public Service Bus Model #L627 (1957 GM Coach)

A few pictures of Public Service Coach #L627.  The bus was part of an order for 49 Model PD4104s built by GM and entered service in 1957.  These buses were purchased for long distance and shore services.  The 35 foot model has air conditioning, seats 41 with 183 hp.  The cruiser was the predecessor of the MC9s and Eagle buses.  It began service out of the Berlin garage and later serviced the Newton Ave., Maple Shade, Union City, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Elizabeth Garages.  The cruiser was retired in 1973 after 16 years of service. 

 

 

 

George Washington Bridge Bus Station Renovations Update

Major renovations continue at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.  Only one platform is in use for all departures.  Rockland Coaches' 9A  and Saddle River Tours/Ameribus Routes 11C and 20/84 depart from the front of the terminal at "Zone A."  The jitneys depart from the middle zones and NJT routes depart from the rear zones.  Please see our previous post for additional information regarding the construction.


  


Passengers must climb the temporary staircase for all departing buses and jitneys.

Temporary Waiting Room on Ft. Washington Ave.

Rockland Coaches 9A waiting for departure to New City at the front of terminal by "Zone A." 

Ameribus/Saddle River Tours Route 11C to Spring Valley loading from Zone A.

NJT buses depart from the rear of the platform.

George Washington Bridge Bus Station Renovations

Construction at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal continues as part of its $183 million renovation.  On Monday August 25, the concourse level and the lower departure levels were closed leaving only the upper level available for bus arrivals and departures.  Passengers must use steep temporary stair cases to enter and leave the station.  A trailer has been set up on Fort Washington Avenue where passengers can use rest rooms, wait for their bus and buy tickets.  Passengers will also have to exit the terminal and walk outside to catch the A train at 177th and Ft. Washington Ave.

This phase of the construction is expected to last approximately one year.  More information about the renovations, and some renderings of what the terminal will look like are available here.

Bus service and ridership to the terminal has diminished over the past few years.  Hopefully the revived terminal will attract new riders as an alternative to the decrepit and overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown.  We continue to advocate for increased bus service over the GWB to the terminal.   Innovative new express routes, service to midtown via the east side and express bus lanes at the bridge are all potential solutions at little additional investment to the infrastructure to help alleviate overcrowding at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.   

NJT Reports Buses are "Late" 32% of the Time

The Record is reporting on new data just released by NJ Transit that its buses have an on-time performance rate of just 68%.  NJT is using a new computerized system for tracking buses.  The report defines being "on time" as arriving at a scheduled stop between 1 minute before the scheduled arrival time and up to 6 minutes late.  More interesting is that the report states that 86% buses at the Port Authority Bus Terminal departed on time in June.  We find that statistic quite hard to believe. 

It's Official - The Port Authority Bus Terminal is Declared "The Worst Place on Earth"

Check out this VERY humorous clip from John Oliver's Last Week Tonight Show on HBO claiming that the Port Authority Bus Terminal is the "single worst place on planet earth."  Click here to view the clip.


Also from this past weekend, The Bergen Record reports on the dismal conditions at the terminal and describes how some bus drivers do laps around the bus terminal in order to meet their scheduled departure time. 

The XBL

With all of the recent news about the Port Authority Bus Terminal finally getting an overhaul with some money allocated for renovations, one question remains:  if you build it, how will the buses come?  A new or expanded bus terminal, which is still light years away, is just one piece of solving the delays at the terminal. 

An expanded or new terminal is useless if buses can't access it.  There has been a lot of talk of how a new terminal is needed, but little discussion on how to improve the flow of traffic into and out of the terminal.

Each morning, thousands of buses use the XBL.  The XBL, short for "Exclusive Bus Lane," (although we think it means "extremely slow bus lane") is a reverse-flow lane set up on Route 495 each morning in the west bound lanes for buses to travel to the Lincoln Tunnel and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  The problem is, it isn't very "exclusive" as upwards of 2,000 buses use the XBL each morning. 

During the morning peak, hundreds of buses line up on the NJ Turnpike - both from the North and the South - waiting to merge to enter the XBL.  Buses from Route 3 also need to merge to access the XBL - those buses actually have to line up and then travel west on 495 for about a quarter mile (and creating even more traffic jams) just to enter the XBL and then back-track east in the XBL to get the city. 

The wait just to merge and enter the XBL often exceeds 30 minutes.  When a bus breaks down in the XBL, the whole thing grinds to a halt for hours and you might as well call in sick to work.

What is mind-boggling is that the local lanes of 495 are often moving well, yet hundreds of buses still line up and wait to use the clogged XBL.  This creates a commute that is often 30-40 minutes longer than if the buses took the local lanes and avoided the XBL.  The original premise of the XBL was for a quicker commute, not a longer one.  We find this incredibly inefficient and frustrating for both bus drivers and bus commuters.

But, what can be done? 

There are no immediate plans to build any more tunnels into NYC for vehicular traffic - and the Christie administration scrapped construction of the rail tunnel that would have been the only long term solution for relieving any trans-Hudson congestion.   The Christie administration loves to create traffic jams, doesn't it?

In the short term,  a second XBL should be added during the morning rush in the east bound lanes of 495.  Alternatively, buses should be instructed to use the local lanes when the XBL is clogged and the local lanes are moving relatively smoothly.  It makes no sense for hundreds of buses to have to wait upwards of 30 minutes to enter the XBL when 495 is moving.  Either the Port Authority Police or NJT Officials should be able to direct this at little additional cost.

An XBL outbound at the Lincoln Tunnel should also be set up to help alleviate the overcrowding at the terminal for the afternoon rush.  One lane of the Lincoln Tunnel and westbound on 495 should be dedicated just to buses. 

Ideally, the perfect solution is to build much needed new rail and vehicular tunnels into New York.   Until that happens, making better use of the resources we already have is a no-brainer.

Port Authority Pledges (Some) Funding to fix Problems at Midtown Bus Terminal

After facing pressure from both riders and politicians, the Port Authority is pledging $90 million to fix some of the problems plaguing the Port Authority Bus Terminal starting this year.  The money will go to fix some of the physical problems nagging the terminal including leaks, broken lighting and air conditioning.

These improvements may help commuters as they wait for buses, but they will do nothing to alleviate daily delays and crowding.  As we've reported, a much needed major expansion or a new terminal and a bus garage are still no where on the horizon and delays and long lines for buses will persist until these improvements are implemented--yet there is currently no funding in the Port Authority's budget for these projects. 

Senator Weinberg Advocating for a New Port Authority Bus Terminal -- updated

New Jersey State Senator Loretta Weinberg has set her sights on replacing the aging and outdated Port Authority Bus Terminal.  As we reported previously, the aging midtown terminal is plagued with delays, overcrowding and in need of major expansion.  Senator Weinberg has become active in this regard by conducting transit forums to hear rider complaints and attending Port Authority meetings.  We applaud Senator Weinberg in taking the lead in advocating for a new terminal but it will likely take years before any improvements will be seen. 

Senator Weinberg is taking written testimony regarding commuting problems into New York until July 7, and will be presenting at the NJT Board Meeting on July 9th.  You can e-mail your comments to her at:  SenWeinberg@njleg.org .

Delayed on NJ Transit

Social media these days is picking up much of the slack when it comes to reporting delays and over-crowding on NJ Transit's bus and rail service.  Who is better than frustrated riders who are stuck waiting for a bus or train to instantly report to fellow commuters about the delays?  One such Facebook and Twitter group called Delayed on NJ Transit  provides a convenient forum for NJ commuters to vent and to report delays so fellow riders can plan alternate routes.  The Twitter feed currently has over 1200 followers. 

The group also is conducting its own survey where NJ Transit commuters can give candid feedback regarding their commutes.

We commend this group on its efforts and recommend everyone to check these sites out - especially before the next commute.

Five Routes Picked For Bergen Bus Rapid Transit

As we reported previously, Bergen County is studying the possibility of creating a Bus Rapid Transit system.  Officials have decided on five potential routes:

• Paterson to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
• Montvale Park and Ride to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
• Garden State Plaza to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, via River Road
• Bergen Community College to the Secaucus Junction train station
• Englewood Hospital to the Secaucus Junction train station

A map of these proposed routes can be found here.

Although we applaud the idea for innovative new transit services, the Paterson to the GWB route is duplicative of the current NJT 171 as well as numerous jitneys servicing the corridor.  The Montvale route is duplicative of the Rockland Coaches Route 45 bus.  We don't see how these routes will provide a "Rapid" commute to New York without substantial improvements to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and express bus lanes to the GWB. 

The one interesting route is the proposed Garden State Plaza to the Port Authority via River Road.  This route would avoid the overcrowded XBL at the Lincoln Tunnel and could be a viable travel alternative if River Road can somehow be configured to truly create bus rapid transit.

Vintage Timetable of the Week - Rockland Coaches 10-14K (1981)

To commemorate the final passing of Rockland Coaches 14K line, here is a vintage timetable from 1981 showing combined service with the 10 route.  The 10 was discontinued in the 1980s.  The 14K had full time service to the George Washington Bridge until it was cut back to a couple of rush hour runs in the late 2000s.  Rockland Coaches eliminated the 14K in May 2014.  It still runs the 14E express service to the Port Authority at rush hour.

No Relief In Sight for Port Authority Bus Terminal Commuters

New Jersey commuters have known for quite some time how bad conditions are at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  Riders have to wait each evening in long lines that wrap around the concourse.  Traffic around the Lincoln Tunnel is a nightmare, and getting worse.  Both Bloomberg and The Record have recently reported how the terminal is outdated, overcrowded, in disrepair, but yet there are no immediate plans to remedy the problems.

The Record reports how there is no space to park buses.  They have to travel empty back to New Jersey after their morning runs to park, only to return for the evening rush.  This creates even more traffic jams inbound at the Lincoln Tunnel and at the terminal.  An expanded or new terminal is needed, as well as a garage to park the buses. 

Capital funding for a bus garage, however, was withdrawn.  Yet the Port Authority is planning on spending $1.5 billion to extend the PATH line to Newark Airport. Instead of allocating funding to remedy problems at the bus terminal, the agency would rather spend billions to duplicate rail service that is already provided by NJ Transit.

There is a parking garage for cars on the top level of the terminal.  A short term solution could be to use this space for buses - but this is not in the Port Authority's plans.  We only suppose this is because the Port Authority would rather rake in $45 a day in daily parking fees to fill its coffers as opposed to providing more efficient public transportation.  The parking revenues alone could help fund improvements to the terminal.

Saddle River Tours Taking Over the 11C and 20/84 Routes Effective May 5th

Saddle River Tours is taking over the soon to be discontinued Rockland Coaches 11C and 20/84 Routes beginning Monday May 5th with their new Ameribus Service.  They have cut one run on the 20/84 in each direction.  They have also cut several more 11C runs with the last bus leaving the GWB at 6:45 on weekdays.   The weekday 8:45PM trip to Spring Valley has been eliminated from the new weekday schedule, but it will continue to run on weekends.  They are also providing very limited weekend service on the 11C with only 3-4 buses in each direction. 

We wish them luck but this will not help increase ridership or alleviate the crowding at the PABT and Lincoln Tunnel.  To increase GWB ridership, innovative new services need to be introduced including exclusive bus lanes over the bridge, more convenient service, introduction of express runs, and service to midtown via the east side.  

Continued Confusion Surrounding Rockland Coaches Impending GWB Bus Cuts

With less than a week to go, the Journal News is reporting on the confusion surrounding the company's elimination of its 11C, 14K and 20/84 Routes to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal.  Many riders believe that the Rockland Route 20 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal is also being cut, which isn't the case.  The article notes that these routes only make up 5% of Rockland's revenue and account for 8% of its total passengers.  This is hardly surprising considering the company previously substantially cut back service on these routes.

There is also confusion regarding who will operate the 11C and 20/84 starting May 5th.  It has been announced that GWB service on the 14K, down to only 3 daily runs, will be discontinued.   Riders of the 11C and 20/84 still don't know who will operate the routes starting on May 5th, but there is continued speculation that NJ Transit may take over the routes in some form. 

NJT to take over Rockland Coaches 11C and 20/84 Routes?

There is a possibility that NJ Transit may be taking over Rockland Coaches 11C and 20/84 routes.  We previously reported that TransportAzumah announced that it will begin operating the route from the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal to Spring Valley, NY effective May 5, 2014 replacing the  discontinued Rockland Coaches 11C. 

Transport Azumah has also announced it will revive the Route 303 line from the GWB to Newark Airport starting May 5, 2014.  The express route will run daily between 5:15AM and 11PM.  NJT ran a similar route 303 in the 1980s. 

GWB Bus Station April 18, 2014 (updated)

NJBus visited the GWB Bus Station at rush hour on April 18, 2014.  Only three platforms are in service due to the terminal's reconstruction.  There is still uncertainty regarding which company will take over the 11C and 20/84 lines when Rockland Coaches discontinues service on May 4, 2014. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rockland Coaches Cutting More GWB Routes Effective May 5, 2014 - Routes 11C, 14K and 20/84 Eliminated

Rockland Coaches has announced that it is cutting its Routes 11C, 14K and 20/84 that service the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal effective May 5, 2014.  The company has been cutting its service to the Washington Heights facility over the past few years. The only remaining Rockland route to serve the terminal will be the Route 9 bus after May 5.  The 14K and 20/84 were recently cut to just limited rush hour runs.  The terminal is undergoing a $180 million dollar renovation, with even less buses serving it.  NJT should consider taking over operations for these routes as an alternative to the overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal.  Buses could serve the uptown station and then travel down the east side of Manhattan providing a new travel alternative for North Jersey commuters.

Bergen County B Line Route B-18 (1981)

Bergen County B-Line Route B-18 between Englewood and Fair Lawn.  This route was discontinued in the 1980's due to low ridership.

Bergen County B-12 Line (1981)

Here is a scan of the B-12 route between Hackensack and Paramus.  The route is today's NJT 762 line.

NJ Transit Executive Director Jim Weinstein to Step Down

The Star Ledger is reporting that Jim Weinstein is stepping down from his position as Executive Director of NJ Transit in March.  Weinstein has taken heat for leaving rail equipment in low lying areas that led to extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy.  More recently, the agency has been criticized for massive overcrowding of trains during the Super Bowl. 

Do you think Weinstein did a good job during his tenure or is it time for him to go in light of these recent problems?  Comments welcome below.

Bergen County B Line B-4/B-72

Bergen County B-Line B-4/B-72 Line between the Meadowlands, Hackensack, and Paramus.  The B-72 also shared a timetable with the B-3 for many years.  The B-4 has long been discontinued, but the B-72 is today's NJT 772 line.

Bergen County B Line B-7/B-17 (1981)

Here is the short-lived B-7/B-17 service between Ridgewood, Paramus, Hackensack and Closter.  This line was discontinued in the early 1980's due to budget cuts and low ridership.

Bergen County Route B-6 (1980)

Bergen County B Line Route B-6 between Paramus and Fort Lee from 1980.  This is today's NJT Route 756.

Bergen County B-3/B-72 (1981)

Here is a Bergen County B-Line B-3/B-72 timetable from 1981.  These lines are today's NJT 753 and NJT 772 lines.

Bergen County Route B-2 (1980)

Here is the Bergen County Route B-2 between Oakland and Hackensack from 1980.  The route is today's NJT Route 752.  The initial  timetable for this line from 1971 is posted here.

Time for some free tolls to compensate for traffic problems...

In light of all of the recent stories, apologies, lawsuits and investigations arising out of the GW BridgeGate Scandal, a very easy way to make reparations to NJ commuters who use the Bridge would be to offer free car tolls and free bus service over the Bridge for a week.  Of course, this should be done without any additional taxpayer expense.  It is this blog's opinion that free tolls speak louder than words.

Increased NJT Bus Service from Port Authority to Garfield and Elmwood Park

In current Northern New Jersey bus news,  effective January 11, 2014, NJT is increasing service on the 160 line to run middays, late night, and weekends.  Service will now run off peak week days and weekends to Garfield, with increased weekday service to Elmwood Park.  The route will operate through the Meadowlands, replacing the 164 through the complex.  This is also good news for Route 164 local riders who will have a quicker trip from New York

See the announcement here.

Cross County Line (1971)

This is the Cross Bergen County Line schedule from 1971 between Oakland and Hackensack.  The service operated on a weekday trial basis.  It eventually became part of the Bergen County B-Line bus network as the B-2.  It is today's NJT Route 752.

Bergen County B1 Line (1981)

Here is a Bergen County B-Line B1 schedule from 1981 which ran between Edgewater and Paramus.  The route is today's NJT 751/755 line.