In Case of Strike: NJ Transit Rail Alternatives

UPDATE: Strike Averted: NJ Transit, Union Reach Deal to Keep Trains Running

Negotiations between rail worker unions and NJ Transit concluded without a deal Thursday, as a strike deadline neared that would affect some 160,000 people who ride the system on a typical weekday — 105,000 of those into New York City.

NJ Transit says that it has developed a contingency plan, but that it would only accommodate up to 40,000 seats, or about 38 percent of riders. That means only about 4 in 10 commuters will be able to get into New York City on the extra buses the agency said it would put into service as part of the plan.

Here are some ways to get around if the rail strike happens.

TICKETING

  • All existing valid rail tickets and passes with an origin or destination of New York, Newark or Hoboken will be accepted for travel on all park-ride service, and will be cross-honored on NJ Transit buses and light rail lines, private bus carriers, PATH, NY Waterway and Seastreak.
  • Customers who do not already have a ticket or pass may purchase round-trip tickets during morning hours on site from the park-ride locations. Round-trip tickets for regional park-ride service also will be available via MyTix, a mobile ticketing feature on NJ Transit's mobile app.
  • Fares from regional park-rides are based on the existing fares from those locations. Adult, senior/disabled, and child fares will be available as follows

CROSS-HONORING

  • NJ Transit rail tickets and passes will be cross-honored on all NJ Transit bus and light rail lines as well as on private bus carriers and PATH trains.
  • Passes also will be cross-honored on all NY Waterway service, including Weehawken, Hoboken and North Hoboken, as well as on Seastreak service into Manhattan.
  • Atlantic City Rail Line tickets will be honored at the PATCO station in Lindenwold to and from Philadelphia (8th & Market St. Station).

REGIONAL PARK-RIDE

Park-ride service will operate on a first come, first served basis from five key regional park-ride lots, weekdays only, during four-hour AM inbound (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and four-hour PM outbound (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) peak periods.

No midday, evening, weekend or reverse commute service will operate on these park-ride routes.

Park-ride locations were selected based on their size/parking capacity, access to regional highways, and geographical distribution. Access to area PATH stations and ferry service also was analyzed to minimize congestion at Hudson River crossings.

  • MetLife Stadium to Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York
  • PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel to New York City (Academy Bus)
  • Hamilton Rail Station to Newark Penn Station for PATH service
  • Metropark Rail Station to Harrison PATH Station
  • Ramsey/Route 17 Rail Station to Lincoln Harbor Ferry, Weehawken

BUSES

NJ Transit will enhance peak period service on 29 existing New York bus routes in close proximity to rail stations. The routes are:

  • Northeast Corridor: 108, 112, 115 and 129 bus routes
  • North Jersey Coast Line: 116 and 133/135 bus routes
  • Raritan Valley Line: 113 and 114X bus routes
  • Morris & Essex Lines: 107X and 114X bus routes
  • Montclair-Boonton Lines: 191X and 324 bus routes
  • Main/Bergen County Lines: 145, 160L, 160T, 160P, 163P, 164SX, 190P/D, 190R, 190X and 192X bus routes
  • Pascack Valley Line: 151, 162, 163L, 165P, 165R and 165T bus routes

In addition, to accommodate Atlantic City Rail Line customers, NJ Transit will enhance service on the 554 bus route, which operates between Atlantic City and Lindenwold. At Lindenwold, customers can connect with PATCO service to Philadelphia. PATCO will cross honor Atlantic City Rail Line tickets and passes to/from Philadelphia (8th & Market St. Station).

To lessen traffic congestion and delays at the Lincoln Tunnel and to take advantage of the proximity to connecting PATH and ferry service, NJ Transit will make the following service adjustments in the event of a rail stoppage:

  • The 156R, 158 and 159R bus routes serving the River Road corridor will terminate at the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken on weekdays, enabling cross honoring with connecting NY Waterway ferry service. Weekend service will operate on its regular route to/from New York.
  • The 126 bus route in Hoboken will operate on a reverse routing on weekday mornings, beginning at Willow Avenue and 19th Street and operating south to Hoboken Terminal for cross honoring with PATH and ferry service. In the evening, the 126 bus route will operate from Hoboken Terminal back to Willow Avenue and 19th Street. Weekend service will operate on its regular route to/from New York.
  • The 153 bus route will not operate. Customers should use 159 bus service, which provides frequent service in the Fort Lee area and connects with NY Waterway ferry service at Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken.
  • The 329 bus route will not operate. Customers should use 124 or 129 bus service as an alternate.

FOR THE LATEST FROM NJ TRANSIT

In addition to this website, customers may access NJ Transit's Twitter feed at @NJTRANSIT or listen to broadcast traffic reports. Additionally, NJ Transit will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your smartphone. Service information also is available by calling 973-275-5555.

NY WATERWAY

NY Waterway is expecting a heavy volume of people if the strike happens. 400 parking spaces will be held within the Port Imperial parking garages for customers who hold monthly passes at the garages. Ferry customers should allow more time to get to and from the terminals, especially during peak hours in the morning and evening. NY Waterway can be reached at 1-800-53-FERRY and updates about the possible strike are on its website

PATH TRAIN SERVICE

  • PATH wouldn't be affected by an NJ Transit rail strike because it's run by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. 
  • PATH service runs from Newark Penn Station into New York City at the World Trade Center (direct) or to Ninth, 14th, 23rd and 33rd streets (requires a transfer at Journal Square Station in Jersey City).
  • PATH trains leave Newark Penn Station approximately every 5 minutes during the morning commute.
  • More details on PATH service, including maps, schedules and fare information can be found at the PATH website

JITNEYS

Some municipalities, including South Orange and Maplewood Township, plan to offer jitney services, but warn that these won't be able to accomodate the large influx of NJ Transit commuters. Maplewood Township Mayor Victor DeLuca said that out of 2,000 NJ Transit commuters, jitneys will only be able to transport about 500. 

CAR POOLING AND RIDESHARING

  • Commuters can also drive into New York City, but bridges and tunnels are expected to be packed with thousands of extra cars. Carpooling could help lighten up the massive influx of drivers.
  • Uber said it doesn't plan to put a cap on its surge pricing and that commuters should take the car service to bus terminals but not over Hudson River crossings. 
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