Fare Pricing Strangeness

[quadrock]

I've posted about fare strangeness before, but here's another one I came across today. To get from Denville to New York costs $15.00 one way. To get from Denville to Newark Broad Street costs $9.25, then from Newark Broad Street to New York costs $5.25. The result is that it is $0.50 cheaper to split this trip up into two separate tickets. The difference may not seem like much, but if you take the monthly pass price into account, it comes out to a $17.00 difference, which translates into $204 per year. Anyone know why NJ Transit would have the fare structure set up this way?

[SemperFidelis]

To make an extra $204 per year from nearly every commuter who uses the Denville Station?

Not trying to be a smartass. It probably is the reason. Most won't notice and those who do won't want the hassle of two tickets for a one way trip.

[quadrock]

Looks like it's a similar situation from Dover, only the price difference on a one way ticket drops from $0.50 to $0.25. Despite the smaller difference in a one-way, the difference is larger In terms of monthlies, which comes to a $23.00 difference per month, or $276.00 per year.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Might be a relic from the opening of Midtown Direct. Pre-Kearny Connection, all M&E Division fares were based from Hoboken, when Midtown Direct opened the NYP fares were placed higher (by a decent percentage) than HOB fares. It could also be the NYP-Newark fare is not in parity with the rest of the mileage.

[SecaucusJunction]

Semper is right on the money. NJT will get $$ from you in any way possible. If people started buying 2 tickets, they'd just raise the fare from Newark to NYP to make up for it. Add in the nearly 2 hour trip from Dover and it doesn't sound like something I'd want to do every day.

[TDowling]

I don't see why it would be a hassle for a denville nyp commuter to purchase and present to the conductor a monthly ticket to newark first and then one from there to nyp. There is no rule against it so the conductor can't complain....and I think it would be foolish for njt to raise the newark fare as they would then have to raise the fare from secaucus in addition.

[CentralValleyRail]

There are plenty of stupid things in the system. You could go Glen Rock Main Line to Glen Rock Boro Hall via Secaucus for $3.50 and NYP-SEC for $3.25 at the time each way. Came out to $10 Round Trip instead of $15 or $16. I did it for years until a conductor didn't let it fly. I challenged him on it and they stopped the train in Clifton and threatened to call the police. I didn't give in and they eventually continued on after 5 or so minutes. Saying they would let it slide this one time. Never tried it again after that. I had every right with that ticket and I guess they realized it. I was 17 then and it was many many moons ago today I have 10x the money I had then so I don't worry about it but if you fool around with the TVM you can see plenty of errors that allow for cheaper pricing. If you are traveling from Ridgewood and further north, it is cheaper to buy a Round Trip ticket from an MNRR station since MNRR does round trip discounts. It use to work for Glen Rock but when MNRR had a fare hike a year or two ago Glen Rock was nixed from the discount.

[quadrock]

That's a crazy one CentralValleyRail. You think after all these years of tweaking the system, they would have fares figured out so that they are rational.

[CentralValleyRail]

That's a crazy one CentralValleyRail. You think after all these years of tweaking the system, they would have fares figured out so that they are rational.

Yes, yes you would and any other agency would probably have done that by now but it's NJ Transit were speaking of...

[jamesinclair]

That's a crazy one CentralValleyRail. You think after all these years of tweaking the system, they would have fares figured out so that they are rational.

There are the same people that set bus fares at $1.60 or $2.55 for locals.

because nothing encourages ridership and speeds up boarding like forcing people to find an extra nickle or dime.

[SemperFidelis]

CentralValley, good for you for standing your ground! Things are so authoritarian since 9/11 that I am surprised they didn't call the cops. It makes no sense as you had committed no crime, but we all know how easy it is to be targetted and or arrested for something as simple as taking a picture, much less the nearly super-villian-esque action/crime of using to one's benefit NJT's inability to design a ticketing system without glitches in it.

Seriously, good for you...and shame on that conductor for threatening to bother the police with such trivial matters.

[CentralValleyRail]

CentralValley, good for you for standing your ground! Things are so authoritarian since 9/11 that I am surprised they didn't call the cops. It makes no sense as you had committed no crime, but we all know how easy it is to be targetted and or arrested for something as simple as taking a picture, much less the nearly super-villian-esque action/crime of using to one's benefit NJT's inability to design a ticketing system without glitches in it.

Seriously, good for you...and shame on that conductor for threatening to bother the police with such trivial matters.

I can see right thru your sarcasm. Take it somewhere else. I was pointing out a flaw in the system.