Possible NJ Transit Fare Increase and Service Cuts

[EuroStar]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I see it this way. Train 1601 runs in the early AM from Monday through Friday. It provides the last train of the service day for Sundays through Thursday. Train 2101 runs early AM on Saturday and Sunday, providing the last train of the service day for Fridays and Saturdays. It may be confusing, but I think that's how it works. So if you are out late Friday night, train 2101 will be available as that is not on the list of service cuts.

If that is how it works then this is news to me. Thank you for educating me. I always thought that the published schedules are from start of service on a given day until end of service on the same day even if it actually is past midnight.

There is a problem though: look at the train last on the Montclair-Boonton line. The late Friday (early Saturday) departure is listed on the weekday schedule, not the weekend schedule. How do we reconcile that? This is what made me think that the listing is from beginning of service till end of service in first place.

[TrainPhotos]

The whole idea of not properly funding a vital part of what is moving our economy which as been designated to be run under public agency makes zero sense to me. Should we not be funding transit enough that people opt to take transit vs any other mode? Railroads and other forms of mass transit existed well before automobiles took off, and way before the interstate system. Just think if we put x number of dollars into roads, then at least that same amount should go into transit. Just my two cents on the issue.

[loufah]

Should we not be funding transit enough that people opt to take transit vs any other mode?

That would probably mean that 10% of the state's population would need to be transit vehicle operators. How much would that cost?

[Defiant]

The whole idea of not properly funding a vital part of what is moving our economy which as been designated to be run under public agency makes zero sense to me. Should we not be funding transit enough that people opt to take transit vs any other mode? Railroads and other forms of mass transit existed well before automobiles took off, and way before the interstate system. Just think if we put x number of dollars into roads, then at least that same amount should go into transit. Just my two cents on the issue.

I agree with you 100% but this is not a common opinion in either this state or the country, unfortunately. Most of the transportation budget on state and federal levels seems to go to roads. Mass transit other than air travel is an after thought, poor relative, with no dedicated funding stream on either federal or state level.

[jamesinclair]

Station agents at selected rail stations do sell bus tickets/passes (all types). Most NJT garages are open to public and sell tickets during regular business hours (cash only) and local merchants (Commissioned Ticket Agents) along many routes do sell various ticket types.

Sure but if the bus route doesnt take it, it doesnt help to have the ticket.

[amtrakowitz]

The whole idea of not properly funding a vital part of what is moving our economy which as been designated to be run under public agency makes zero sense to me. Should we not be funding transit enough that people opt to take transit vs any other mode? Railroads and other forms of mass transit existed well before automobiles took off, and way before the interstate system. Just think if we put x number of dollars into roads, then at least that same amount should go into transit. Just my two cents on the issue.

Just because something was taken over by the public sector does not mean it ought to be in the public sector. That goes for roads as well. California, for example, would not have had a road network if not for the private sector.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Station agents at selected rail stations do sell bus tickets/passes (all types). Most NJT garages are open to public and sell tickets during regular business hours (cash only) and local merchants (Commissioned Ticket Agents) along many routes do sell various ticket types.

Sure but if the bus route doesnt take it, it doesnt help to have the ticket.

All NJT bus tickets/passes in intrastate (except to NY PABT) travel are interchangeable between routes, provided the proper zones are selected.

[jamesinclair]

Station agents at selected rail stations do sell bus tickets/passes (all types). Most NJT garages are open to public and sell tickets during regular business hours (cash only) and local merchants (Commissioned Ticket Agents) along many routes do sell various ticket types.

Sure but if the bus route doesnt take it, it doesnt help to have the ticket.

All NJT bus tickets/passes in intrastate (except to NY PABT) travel are interchangeable between routes, provided the proper zones are selected.

Youre saying that if I present a ticket worth $2.35 to the Acadamy/First Transit bus driver on an 800 route, it will be accepted?

[ryanov]

NJT buses accept prepurchased tickets. I don't know where else they sell them, but NJT Riverline vending machines sell zone 1, and the Camden Broadway station bus ticket agents sell other zones.
Other than that, and monthly passes, yeah, the buses are cash only.

Unfortunately, only a very limited amount of lines take tickets.

So in New Brunswick, where 5 routes leave from the train station that has 8 fare machines, none of them take tickets (the fare machines dont sell them either). Boarding takes a good 5 minutes as people try and get the fare machine to take their dollar bills and random assortment of coins.

That's not true at all. I've never found a line that does not accept tickets, and I ride a /lot/ of buses. Getting them is another story. I buy mine from the Newark Light Rail machine. You can get one zone tickets there, and higher numbered zone "continuing trip" tickets for the same price as the bus fares. Unvalidated, these are fine on the bus. The only exception is that CoachUSA will not accept light rail tickets (sometimes, when the driver notices). I don't know about New Brunswick, but Is suspect those lines would take them too.

[ryanov]

Just because something was taken over by the public sector does not mean it ought to be in the public sector. That goes for roads as well. California, for example, would not have had a road network if not for the private sector.

Time to open a history book, sir. If the public sector didn't take over trains, we wouldn't have them. If you don't know what you're talking about, best to find out before typing.

[TrainPhotos]

Just because something was taken over by the public sector does not mean it ought to be in the public sector. That goes for roads as well. California, for example, would not have had a road network if not for the private sector.

Time to open a history book, sir. If the public sector didn't take over trains, we wouldn't have them. If you don't know what you're talking about, best to find out before typing.

Indeed. Passenger rail service was never the money-maker. Passenger service was a public benefit operation, often if not always operated at a loss. Some of these operations were in exchange for land, tax breaks, or other concessions from state, county, or local government(s). Pretty fascinating stuff...

[CentralValleyRail]

NJT buses accept prepurchased tickets. I don't know where else they sell them, but NJT Riverline vending machines sell zone 1, and the Camden Broadway station bus ticket agents sell other zones.
Other than that, and monthly passes, yeah, the buses are cash only.

Unfortunately, only a very limited amount of lines take tickets.

So in New Brunswick, where 5 routes leave from the train station that has 8 fare machines, none of them take tickets (the fare machines dont sell them either). Boarding takes a good 5 minutes as people try and get the fare machine to take their dollar bills and random assortment of coins.

That's not true at all. I've never found a line that does not accept tickets, and I ride a /lot/ of buses. Getting them is another story. I buy mine from the Newark Light Rail machine. You can get one zone tickets there, and higher numbered zone "continuing trip" tickets for the same price as the bus fares. Unvalidated, these are fine on the bus. The only exception is that CoachUSA will not accept light rail tickets (sometimes, when the driver notices). I don't know about New Brunswick, but Is suspect those lines would take them too.

I know it's not about a prepaid single ride ticket however I have a Wayne Route 23-NYP Monthly (use it on Main/Bergen and Pascack Valley no problem). 1/2 the time I ride the bus the driver looks at it like there's something wrong with it. Have had 2 drivers told me that they don't accept train monthly's even though the ZONE is printed right on it. I wasn't moving off the bus (at PABT) so he called a supervisor who apologized to me for the misunderstanding.

Remember folks GARBAGE IN GARBAGE out!!!!

[jamesinclair]

NJT buses accept prepurchased tickets. I don't know where else they sell them, but NJT Riverline vending machines sell zone 1, and the Camden Broadway station bus ticket agents sell other zones.
Other than that, and monthly passes, yeah, the buses are cash only.

Unfortunately, only a very limited amount of lines take tickets.

So in New Brunswick, where 5 routes leave from the train station that has 8 fare machines, none of them take tickets (the fare machines dont sell them either). Boarding takes a good 5 minutes as people try and get the fare machine to take their dollar bills and random assortment of coins.

That's not true at all. I've never found a line that does not accept tickets, and I ride a /lot/ of buses. Getting them is another story. I buy mine from the Newark Light Rail machine. You can get one zone tickets there, and higher numbered zone "continuing trip" tickets for the same price as the bus fares. Unvalidated, these are fine on the bus. The only exception is that CoachUSA will not accept light rail tickets (sometimes, when the driver notices). I don't know about New Brunswick, but Is suspect those lines would take them too.

The NB buses are NJT branded, but run by Academy.

[loufah]

Have had 2 drivers told me that they don't accept train monthly's even though the ZONE is printed right on it.

Back when rail passes were good for reduced bus fares on feeder routes, every MCM driver thought I was showing them some sort of card that was only valid off-peak, and they grumbled that it was only supposed to be used after 9:30 AM. They accepted NJT monthly bus passes just fine, and ultimately that's what I ended up buying, since the total price (feeder bus + rail + feeder bus each way) wound up being about the same.

[philipmartin]

http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/201 ... _cuts.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;