NJ Transit faces a possible strike. Here's how it could impact you

NJ Transit and an engineers' union appear to be heading toward a major rail strike that would start Friday -- the first one in decades.

Currently, both sides are in Washington, D.C. participating in mediation, where they pledged to continue negotiations.

Representatives for NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers were called to the nation's capital by federal arbitrators trying to push the two sides to reach an agreement before hundreds of thousands of riders are impacted by a strike for the first time since 1983. Gov. Phil Murphy said both sides have had productive talks, but until a deal is reached, he is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.

Wages and working conditions have been the main sticking points of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

Though they have several days to reach an agreement, preparations are well underway for it to happen.

HOW WILL A STRIKE IMPACT YOU?

Unfortunately for some Shakira fans, the impact of a possible NJ Transit strike will be felt soon.

On Monday, NJ Transit announced it would not provide train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for the Shakira concerts on Thursday and Friday due to the strike threat.

The news could impact hundreds if not thousands of attendees to the shows, in particular Thursday's show, which is sold out.

The stalemate over wages threatens to leave 350,000 riders in the lurch, despite contingency plans that promise shuttle buses from key hubs like Secaucus Junction and the PNC Arts Center. NJ Transit warns on its website: "NJ TRANSIT strongly encourages all those who can work from home to do so and limit traveling on the NJ TRANSIT system to essential purposes only."

NJ Transit said that the agency will be providing additional buses if a strike materializes. However, those buses would only accommodate 20 percent of riders.

If a walkout does occur, NJ Transit has said the chartered buses will run from four satellite lots across the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan or to PATH train stations in north Jersey, starting Monday.

As many as 1,000 passengers are on a full train each day, and roughly 70,000 commuters take the trains each day. NJ Transit says each chartered bus could carry only about 100 passengers, and no buses would run on the first day of a potential strike.

Officials expect some train customers will switch to existing NJ Transit bus routes or use the chartered carriers. Others may choose to drive into New York City, where they would have to pay congestion pricing fees.

The contingency plan includes adding more buses to certain New York bus routes close to rail stations and contracting with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional Park & Ride locations during peak hours during the work week.

How about if you are not one of the commuters who will be served by these additional buses? Well, the MTA has also announced cross-honoring plans for West-of-Hudson customers. However, be aware that Amtrak, PATCO, SEPTA, ferry and certain private carrier buses will not be cross-honoring, so customers using these providers should be ready to pay for a ticket separately, NJ Transit said.

To find out more about NJ Transit's contingency plan and for updated information, click here.

The chaos that could come from a possible strike could result in long lines to PATH trains, buses and other public forms of transportation, as well as extended waits for rideshare services. So make sure to give yourself extra travel time. The same goes for drivers since there could be more cars than usual on the road.

NJ Transit — the nation’s third largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. If the walkout occurs, all NJ Transit commuter trains will stop running.

New Jersey Transit operates buses and rail in the state, providing an estimated 925,000 weekday trips, including into New York City. The labor dispute goes back to 2019, when the engineers’ contract expired.