No Transit Strike
Mar 11, 2016 at 2:19am Edited
Our company is providing buses for employees only from different park and rides across NJ. The 2 closet to me are the Vauxhall park and ride and the Summit park and ride. Summit has more spaces then Vauxhall and Summit is 3 dollars a day to park. Even if I have a bus to take me to Manhattan I would still have to get there early to get a parking space. It seems no option for us is going to be fun. I am working home Monday to see how this plays out.
If you plan to transfer to the PATH train at Newark Penn Station, the Port Authority recommends you go to the World Trade Center rather the switch to the 33rd Street PATH train at Journal Square. The PA thinks there will be significant congestion at Journal Square. They recommend going to WTC and using NYC subways to get uptown.
In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.
Fiche posted the following question to the South Orange Village President on the SO companion thread:
"Sheena: Can you provide an update on the jitney service? Will they be running to the NJ Light Rail? If so, which one? There has to be some way to determine before you get on the light rail heading home whether or not you will get a seat otherwise residents will be stranded or have to turn around and start all over unless there is another means of transportation available that the Light Rail stop.
Thanks for all the planning."
A variant of the same question would apply to the Maplewood plan to provide transport from a "location near Irvington Bus Terminal" to Maplewood Town Hall in the evening. While the plan could prove effective getting residents into the City in the morning, there could be problems getting them back to Maplewood again in the evening, if demand, especially for the last jitney of the day, exceeded capacity.
While the plan to rely on the GO 25 bus to provide adequate capacity for Newark Penn Station riders in the morning rush could work, going home, those who cannot fit on the jitney would have to squeeze onto the very limited 25/375 Maplewood Loop or 70 Livingston Mall Buses, both of which could well be filled to capacity and not stopping at Irvington Bus Terminal at all. Even then, those who parked by Town Hall (assume parking permit holders) would have a very long walk from SA to their cars.
The 31 bus to Maplewood Loop would get these passengers to town hall (if they know about the bus, are traveling during the hours when the bus is in operation, and can fit on - service to Maplewood is very limited). The 31 bus goes up South Orange Avenue and does not stop anywhere near Irvington Bus Terminal. Passengers would have to try for this alternative at Newark Penn Station.
Recommendation would be to check with Coach and NJT to determine if additional capacity could be provided by extending the number of evening rush buses going to/through Maplewood Loop. This could provide a possible means of getting residents home in the evening if they are relying on mass transit.