New Jersey Transit - Random Thoughts Thread

[FLX9304]

For that, Run the entire system on a “Chicken” schedule. Similarly to 2020. 

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

When you create a monster you have to expect the worst. I was called to help and I said no. I’m not dealing with that line. What are they going to do on the 3rd when all those people go up and down on the 2nd and have amnesia on the 3rd. 

If I still worked there and had a NABI, I would've done it in a heartbeat LMAO.

[B35 via Church]

7 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

If I still worked there and had a NABI, I would've done it in a heartbeat LMAO.

You could show up on a cheese bus & folks wouldn't GAF.... Free doesn't care about fleet.

[Lawrence St]

4 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

You could show up on a cheese bus & folks wouldn't GAF.... Free doesn't care about fleet.

Oh the screaming between the starter and the pax at AC proved that point earlier lol.

[FlxMtroD]

On 8/28/2024 at 7:04 PM, Lawrence St said:

In response to increased ridership during fare free week NJT is scrambling to find drivers to cover certain portions of the 319 due to crowding conditions. They’re running extra service between T/M & A/C or A/C to NY.

I've sent them an email to customer service warning  before the Fare Holiday began..warning them of what lines are expected to be overcrowded and the 319 is one of them. They should at least thought before hand what lines needed extra service and what local and NY lines need articulated buses running instead of leaving them parked outside the PABT for rush hour service.

I hate that Kearny Point  garage is doing the 119 as well. Their garage is nothing but Nabis and we know full well the 119 should strictly be articulated route. I know for a fact that riders were pissed off riding while standing crushed shoulder to shoulder or passed up because the driver had a Nabi. That 200 order of artics couldn't get here fast enough until next year it seems

[DCTransitFilms]

44 minutes ago, FlxMtroD said:

I hate that Kearny Point  garage is doing the 119 as well. Their garage is nothing but Nabis and we know full well the 119 should strictly be articulated route. I know for a fact that riders were pissed off riding while standing crushed shoulder to shoulder or passed up because the driver had a Nabi. That 200 order of artics couldn't get here fast enough until next year it seems

tell me about it... Kinda also why I avoid taking a NABI as much as possible whenever I take the 119. Had 5887 on the 119 from NY a few weeks ago and it was one the most uncomfortable rides I ever rode. Also had 6481 to NY and that was also mad uncomfortable...

I could see some 2024s making their way to Kearny Point eventually.

[Gotham Bus Co]

10 hours ago, FlxMtroD said:

I've sent them an email to customer service warning  before the Fare Holiday began..warning them of what lines are expected to be overcrowded and the 319 is one of them. They should at least thought before hand what lines needed extra service and what local and NY lines need articulated buses running instead of leaving them parked outside the PABT for rush hour service.

I hate that Kearny Point  garage is doing the 119 as well. Their garage is nothing but Nabis and we know full well the 119 should strictly be articulated route. I know for a fact that riders were pissed off riding while standing crushed shoulder to shoulder or passed up because the driver had a Nabi. That 200 order of artics couldn't get here fast enough until next year it seems

 

Wouldn't the 119 run better out of Greenville?

[Lawrence St]

2 hours ago, Gotham Bus Co said:

 

Wouldn't the 119 run better out of Greenville?

I think the 119 should be run by Coach /s

[553 Bridgeton]

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I think the 119 should be run by Coach /s

No, the dwell times would be too great. Artics only. 

[B35 via Church]

5 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

8 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I think the 119 should be run by Coach /s

No, the dwell times would be too great. Artics only. 

He's (sarcastically/jokingly) talking about CoachUSA, not coach buses....

[Lawrence St]

6 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

No, the dwell times would be too great. Artics only. 

It was a joke about how shitty Coach ran it before lol.

[Lawrence St]

@553 Bridgeton what’s going on with all these 553 buses? Almost all of them are running 45 minutes late. One is an hour and 26 minutes behind.

[553 Bridgeton]

2 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

@553 Bridgeton what’s going on with all these 553 buses? Almost all of them are running 45 minutes late. One is an hour and 26 minutes behind.

Idk I don’t work that line lol

[Lawrence St]

1 minute ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

Idk I don’t work that line lol

Oh I thought cause of your username 😭

[553 Bridgeton]

Just now, Lawrence St said:

Oh I thought cause of your username 😭

I used too, but haven’t done it in over 2yrs. 

[jass]

On 8/28/2024 at 7:04 PM, Lawrence St said:

In response to increased ridership during fare free week NJT is scrambling to find drivers to cover certain portions of the 319 due to crowding conditions. They’re running extra service between T/M & A/C or A/C to NY.

Meanwhile the casinos that stopped partnering with private bus companies to run trips into AC still complaining that business is down and they cant figure out why

[Lawrence St]

52 minutes ago, jass said:

Meanwhile the casinos that stopped partnering with private bus companies to run trips into AC still complaining that business is down and they cant figure out why

Greyhound no longer runs to the AC bus terminal which was extremely surprising to me.

[JAzumah]

On 9/3/2024 at 4:00 PM, jass said:

Meanwhile the casinos that stopped partnering with private bus companies to run trips into AC still complaining that business is down and they cant figure out why

What is the demand for a free product?

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

So on Labor Day during the fare-free week, I decided to take on the beast that is the 319. I wanted to hit both Atlantic City and Philly on the same day and then head back to NYC. Was also thinking about doing the NJ Coast Line to Asbury Park and get the 317 to Philly.  Unfortunately every single NJCL train in the afternoon was seemingly timed to just miss the 317 (and no way was I gonna wait for the next one). The trip was a...rollercoaster I guess. Ultimately I ended up on the worst-case itinerary, but not for the reason I expected. 

I left home sometime around 10:30 AM to catch the Q47 bus for the , and in somewhat of a miracle for a weekend schedule, get to Port Authority around 11:20 AM (with the bus and the  train on weekends, forget it). I make my way to the gate, and as I am going up the escalator I see a behemoth of a line and loads of people on the floor. For a while I thought I was really cooked. However to my luck a large swath of the people near the escalators where at the back end of the line for the 107 after making out part of the crowd. I did not expect the 107 line to be that large for that time of day, sucks for those who had to stand on whatever rinky-dink NABI was next to show up all the way into South Newark (at the very least).

However that only cleared about half of the line on that floor, and there were still a lot of other people on a line near the escalators. At that point that meant I was maybe gonna be on the 12:00 bus, 12:30 bus at worst. After looking around though, that other line near the escalators ended up being the 139 line, so when I got to the 319 line it ended up being a much more reasonable line. It even looked like I could make the 11:30 that was set to depart soon. 

The starters at the gate then start letting people on after a while and then stop at me to see if they had enough seating. The 11:30 AM trip is one of those that continue past AC to Cape May so I wasn't sure whether I was gonna fit, although they had 8 seats left so thankfully I fit on the trip. I didn't want to sit towards the front, and I certainly was not trying to sit near the lavatory so I took the one seat which basically fit that description. At this point I was actually ahead of even the best case scenario (since I expected to be on the 12:00 PM earliest). On the way some lady behind me apparently was calling Greyhound to cancel her ticket from NY to AC. Apparently she was told to go to the wrong place and missed the scheduled bus which is how she ended waiting for the 319 with her kids. Her and some other lady were talking about how it was "illegal" that they were charging when the buses were free. A little perplexed after hearing that but okay, LOL. She was also unaware of the free fares until that day (presumably after she made her way to the 319 as the backup). 

The bus stopped at Toms River to let some people off (nobody got on), and went through the South Ocean Park & Ride but didn't pick up or drop off anyone. The bus gets to Atlantic City a little early, before 2 PM. The bus almost emptied out at Atlantic City and a few people got on the bus while on its stopover. It didn't leave with a lot of people, but cool for them. That ride to Cape May sounds brutal, but maybe sometime in the future that something I could plan on doing....maybe. 

I stay around the bus terminal for a little while before heading out to walk around. I noticed that there was a 551 to Philly pick up passengers on its usual bay, then pull out and head to Bay 1. From there it loaded up a wheelchair passenger that I guess it couldn't load up at its bay. That bus left 17 minutes late as a result which likely meant that the next one caught up later on (not only did this bus stop at GP outlets but was also one of those sporadic trips stopping at Farley Service Plaza).

After doing some walk around AC including a brief stint on the Boardwalk (and entering Ceasar's to cool off), I head back to get a snack from McDonald's and then catch the the 3:40 PM 551 trip to Philly at the terminal. From this point is where things start going south. I get on the bus and as I head towards the back a strong odor hits me, almost like somebody took a shit or something. IDK but it was so I look around, and then I overhear a someone say to his wife who was getting on that it seems that someone vomited, and when I look at the floor I evidently noticed that in the aisle, a few rows back. Most of the front was taken and I was certainly not gonna sit for over an hour with pungent smell lingering, so I decided to get off. 

I mainly stood around the bus terminal and observing/taking footage at that point. As expected the 319 line was dominating, and there were two Jersey City buses sent out from AC for that afternoon departure.  Since I would still be good on time taking the 4:40 PM, I decided to wait for that one rather than do the 4:10 which made all the stops (minus Farley). I didn't want to deal with potential crowding on that bus later on in the route. I also saw some bus signed up as 139 as well at one point. 

There is more to this trip, so I'll continue it in the next post (1/2).

 

Edited September 5 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

^^^Continued from the post above (2/2)

So I make the line for the 4:40 bus (which was notably longer than the 3:40 I passed up), and the bus starts but goes all the way to Bay 1. So we all basically hoof it to Bay 1, wondering what that was all about. Eventually there we notice that there are two people who are seeking to get on the bus with some mobility device (lady on a wheelchair, and a dude on a scooter). The operator came out and once she saw the lady she was like  (It didn't take long enough to find out why). She takes it the lift and attempts to lower it to the ground, but it doesn't budge. She calls over one of the starters who ends up helping her out and the thing goes down. The lady gets attempts to get on the lift first, getting off her wheelchair to place it on the lift but it  didn't fit. She kept going to no avail, and some on the line attempt to help out to speed up the process. Now the bigger issue was, how the hell was she gonna get on? To put it lightly, she was BIG. Eventually what happens is the wheelchair is folded enough and aligned in a way where she can also get on. She then spreads herself out, putting her wheelchair on the left side while her sitting in the right side seats. The other guy needed to go though.

The operator gets on the bus to tell the lady that she has to sit in her wheelchair because the other guy needed to board. The lady then REFUSES, and then they get into an argument over it. The lady screaming at the operator, and then she walks off the bus fuming, calling over the starter that initially helped her. This goes on for a while, until she called over the starter who helped her with the lift. She was venting/explaining how she wouldn't move and stuff, stating that it was her last trip and she doesn't want to deal with that lady's bullshit. When the operator stepped off that bus she looked like she was gonna walk off the job right there. To say she was fed up was an understatement, and I don't blame her one bit TBH. If someone was on some bullshit on my final leg of a shift for no reason which would lead to me clocking out late, I would be pissed too. The starter stays with the operator and some other NJT employee in a grey shirt was called over (not sure if he was some supervisor or what) and he goes up to the bus to deal with the lady. After some exchange I guess she budges and eventually sits in her wheelchair. Probably threatened her with calling her the cops or something. 

So that gets settled and the other guy is lifted on the bus with zero issue. At this point the bus left AC a little over 15 minutes late. The operator was hauling it though along the Atlantic City Expwy. At one point she hits some traffic so she has to brake and I guess it was a little too hard for several people in the back were like "woah, this lady drives the bus like she driving a Hyundai...I would not want be in a car with her" and then basically making comments about how fast she was going. Some dude said something to the effect of 'yo, don't let that lady smoke us all' at some point (referring to the wheelchair). We eventually get to Camden, and the lady has to get off. So the guy in the scooter needs to be taken out first, so the wheelchair can get off. The wheelchair takes her sweet ass time, and then I guess the operator tells her that she can't be doing that and then she starts yelling, saying "don't me to hurry up", and then just outright screaming and screeching her ass onto the lift. Everyone else left was done with her. Then the guy had to be reloaded since he was going towards Philly.

Honestly probably might have been a good idea if the guy at AC called the cops or got her off the bus. That way she would have to roll her ungrateful ass back to Camden. It's the nerve when the bus stops at Bay 1 for her while the rest of us have to the other side of the terminal, does so earlier to get us out in time, and the bus was FREE. All of that and she still wanted to take it to another level. The entitlement of some people is just insane. As a result of her antics, the 551 arrived over 40 minutes late to Vine & 8th Streets. I didn't have enough time to really go through Philly, and I also needed to use a restroom which was such a hassle to find. If finding a public bathroom in NYC is tough, well it seems like Philly is even worse. Had the bus not been 50 minutes late, I could have walked to 30th Street station, then caught the last 316 out of there to Camden (or the AC Rail Line to Pennsauken if possible).

I went into the Fashion District Mall but the one restroom in the section that was not cordoned off, was closed. A security guard told me to head up to the AMC....and they didn't let me. As I get back to Market Street I end up just missing a 317 towards Lakewood. I had to wait for the next bus which was a 400 to take it to Walter Rand. It took a while for the bus to show up but luckily  there was a restroom at Walter Rand. It seemed that the River Line just passed (7:52, which would have connected me with the 9:09 NEC train from Trenton). My initial plan also wasn't to take the River Line, but the 409. However there was no time for that unfortunately. 

Have to say that the area around Walter Rand is...rough. It's not a secret that Camden is a shell of its prime but damn. Very desolate aside from the congregation of people around Walter Rand. However a number of people are those junkies just sitting around and whatnot. At that time it was past sunset and early nighttime, but even in the daytime when we passed on the 551 earlier it was empty. I went around Walter Rand for a while, then went to the River Line station. The rest of the trip was mainly uneventful, aside from my first time taking the River Line. Took the 8:22 PM to Trenton, for the 9:59 PM NEC train to Penn. Had I not fanned the NEC the day before, it would have been my first time on the NEC south of Newark. We got into Penn at around 11:30 PM. 

From Penn, I caught the  to Grand Ave to get some food and managed to catch a Q58 bus that turned off of Queens Blvd (NIS) and went into service at the stop. Walked home from Grand Ave, and was home before 12:30 AM. With respect to NJT, the 319 leg of the trip was surprisingly the smoothest. However I got royally screwed with the 551, it basically either deal with a horrible smell for the full 90 minutes or so.....or deal with an ungrateful ass passenger that delays the bus by 40+ minutes. Not the greatest options available. However with all the wheelchair activity on the 551 specifically, I wonder if that was that more a result of the fare free week, or is that the norm. I tend to lean towards the former. 

[DCTransitFilms]

@BM5 via Woodhaven lol I was fanning at Atlantic City on Labor Day when you were there I think. What bus did you have going to AC and Philly?

[Silver Script]

Well I didn't expect to see the 20852 on the 44 this morning. I guess that line gets a lot of people.

 

Since I saw it as it was turning the corner at Central and University Aves going to Penn Station, it only had about 7 people on it.

[FlxMtroD]

1 hour ago, Silver Script said:

Well I didn't expect to see the 20852 on the 44 this morning. I guess that line gets a lot of people.

 

Since I saw it as it was turning the corner at Central and University Aves going to Penn Station, it only had about 7 people on it.

Once the order of 200 artics comes in perhaps next year, expect some of those buses to show up on lines that are currently run by Nabis

[checkmatechamp13]

2 hours ago, Silver Script said:

Well I didn't expect to see the 20852 on the 44 this morning. I guess that line gets a lot of people.

Since I saw it as it was turning the corner at Central and University Aves going to Penn Station, it only had about 7 people on it.

Yeah the 44 isn't a particularly busy line from what I've seen. Despite it going to Newark Penn Station, it seems the 24 is busier (in terms of crowding per bus) along the Central Avenue corridor.

For what it's worth, the official numbers are as follows:

24: 8414 weekdays, 6091 Saturdays, 4109 Sundays

44: 1013 weekdays, 545 Saturdays, 420 Sundays

Obviously, the 24 is more frequent, and twice the length of the 44, but to give an idea, it gets almost 10 times the ridership of the 24.

[Silver Script]

29 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Yeah the 44 isn't a particularly busy line from what I've seen. Despite it going to Newark Penn Station, it seems the 24 is busier (in terms of crowding per bus) along the Central Avenue corridor.

For what it's worth, the official numbers are as follows:

24: 8414 weekdays, 6091 Saturdays, 4109 Sundays

44: 1013 weekdays, 545 Saturdays, 420 Sundays

Obviously, the 24 is more frequent, and twice the length of the 44, but to give an idea, it gets almost 10 times the ridership of the 24.

 

When I stalk the 44 on mybusnow the passenger count at best would be medium. Crazy to think that way back in the day, there was way more service on the 44 with Coach USA (probably carrying air most of the time) until it was switch to hourly and still is.