Tuesday, January 19, 2016

NJT - NY Waterway Hudson Go Pass

New Jersey Transit and NY Waterway Ferry have introduced the Hudson Go Pass for commuters using NJT buses 156R, 158, 159R and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System.  The pass is good for unlimited rides on these NJT services as well as connecting NY Waterway Ferries from Port Imperial terminal in Weehawken.  The monthly passes cost $280 for ferry trips to midtown and $400 for the downtown ferry service.  We are glad to see the partnership between NJT and NY Waterway to help alleviate overcrowding at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.  However, NY Waterway ferries to New Jersey are still much more expensive than corresponding NJT bus service. More people would be encouraged to switch exclusively to the ferry service if the cost was lowered, which could be accomplished with state-subsidies.  This could be an immediate and simple way to help alleviate the clogged trans-hudson bridges and tunnels as well as the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Port Authority Finally Begins Planning New Bus Terminal

The Port Authority has finally begun planning for a new mid-town bus terminal to replace its over-crowded and crumbling bus terminal.  They have implemented a design competition and hope to select the winning design by next September.  Officials estimate the cost of the new terminal to be approximately $10 billion. We see this as a step in the right direction, but it is a painfully slow process and will not alleviate any of the current problems with the terminal. Please click here for more on this story.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

The New NJT Mobile App - Your Ticket and More

NJ Transit unveiled the newest version of its Mobile App yesterday. Users can still purchase and display their NJT bus and rail tickets using the MyTix feature, but this version of the app does even more.  It  incorporates Mybus and DepartureVision that show in real time when your bus or train will arrive (or how late it will be). Users can also find bus and rail schedules and use Trip Planner to plan their route.  These features were previously only available on the NJT mobile website.

The Android version of the app is available for free download in the Google Play Store here.

The Ipad/Iphone version of the app is a free download at the iTunes store.  Click here for more info.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Port Authority Gate Shuffle - September 8, 2015

DeCamp Bus Route 33 seen today at newly reassigned lower level gate.
The Great Port Authority Bus Terminal Gate Shuffle commenced today to some minor rider confusion but overall went relatively smoothly.  Hundreds of Port Authority and NJT employees wearing shiny yellow uniforms were on hand to help riders find their buses.  Overall, 55 bus routes were re-assigned to new departure gates.  Hopefully the new assignments will help alleviate congestion in the terminal but only time will tell. A new expanded facility and more improvements are still greatly needed. 

For more details on the new gate assignments, please see our previous post and also the Port Authority website.