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.