Commuters Seek Relief in March NJTransit Schedule Change

South Orange commuters can look forward to one change in March

South Orange commuters will see some relief in March, as the 6:19 from Penn Station will eliminate two stops and reach South Orange faster. The change takes effect on March 24, according to NJTransit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder.  Snyder also said that rail planners are "actively looking" at additional changes. "We are looking at options," she said, based on increased ridership. Commuters spoke Tuesday night to NJTransit officials in Penn Station. South Orange-based commuters continue to express frustration with changes in the schedule that see fewer express trains stopping in South Orange. This change took effect in the fall, just before Sandy. The schedule change meant South Orange lost non-stop trains leaving the city. At that time, …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Scott Greenstone

1:46 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thanks Marcia for publishing this. In addition, I met personally with Jim Weinstein Tuesday night and he stated the they are expecting to restore express/direct service to South Orange with the next schedule change in the spring. He did not, however, expand on the or indicate if that would be 1 or multiple trains.   more ›

South Orange Officials, NJ Transit See Improvements for Commute

Schedules will change again

Village Has Little News for Frustrated Commuters

Monday night's update offered no specific relief.

The South Orange Board of Trustees Monday update on NJTransit had little news for frustrated commuters. After the October schedule change, which commuters charge lengthens the trip to and from the city, and reduces the number of seats, NJTransit officials told residents they would study the situation. Village President Alex Torpey reported NJTransit will have have completed a ridership study by the end of December; officials will share that data with South Orange at that time. Torpey talked with NJTransit's Jim Weinstein, who told Torpey if there is "an obvious fix," the agency would pursue it. In addition, NJTransit will see if there is an express train that can add a stop in South Orange.  Last week, NJTransit officials met with …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (3)

Scott Greenstone

11:01 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Yes sabrina, we did ask,and they claim that Maplewood has slightly more passengers, however they failed to include the numbers of people that transfer in SO from other trains starting further west and from the multiple bus lines that stop at the train station.   more ›

Commuter Group Reports on NJ Transit meeting

South Orange commuters have organized and met with NJ Transit officials on Tuesday

South Orange commuters have banded together, launching a petition and meeting on Tuesday with NJ Transit officials.  Many train riders have come forward to protest October schedule changes that mean fewer trains stop in South Orange. NJ Transit officials conceded in October that South Orange service has decreased, since the new commuter schedule took effect. New Jersey Transit touted the addition of 1,000 seats in the evening commuter hours. However, when questioned by trustee Mark Rosner at a Board of Trustee meeting, a transit spokesman acknowledged though there is a new train on the line, there are no additional South Orange stops. Trustee Nancy Gould further noted those trains that serve South Orange in the evening make more stops than…

• Photos (2)

Update: NJ Transit Foresees Improvement After Mechanical Problems, Overcrowding

Rail commuters may see improvement next week when Gladstone line reopens Monday.

  Update, 11/30: New Jersey Transit sent the following email alert on Friday afternoon: Starting Monday December 3, 2012, the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines will resume service between Gladstone and Hoboken, as well as between Gladstone and New York. Service along this rail line had been suspended due to the severe damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy.   When service is restored to the Gladstone Branch, NJ TRANSIT will resume its Midtown Direct service into New York and diesel trains into Summit and Hoboken.  Gladstone Branch service will include two Midtown Direct trains during the morning and evening peak periods, with four additional trains serving Summit and/or Hoboken during each peak period.  Click here for Gladstone…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

PATH Service to World Trade Center Resumes Monday

Hoboken service remains suspended, but the Port Authority and NJ Transit are offering alternate routes for commuters.

  Getting into New York City will be a little easier this week.  PATH service to the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan will resume Monday morning, according to the PATH website. Trains to the World Trade Center have been canceled since sustaining damage during Hurricane Sandy.  PATH trains will run weekdays between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m in New Jersey through Newark, Harrison, Journal Square, Grove Street and Exchange Place. The final stops in New York City will be at the World Trade Center and 33rd St. Christopher and 9th St. stations in New York City have been restored to full service.  Access for the disabled will be available at Newark and the World Trade Center.  On the weekends, PATH service will operate on a limited schedule and the …

• Photos (3)

Hurricane Sandy

NJTransit System Reports 'Unprecedented Devastation'

Extensive damage could delay service restorations across rail and bus linking NJ, NY and Philadelphia

The nation's largest statewide public transportation system says it faces a massive repair and restoration effort in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. NJTransit, consisting of 12 commuter train lines, 3 light rail lines and 261 bus routes, suffered "unprecedented devastation" from the storm, according to James Simpson, New Jersey's transportation commissioner and chairman of the NJTransit board. The system normally provides 895,000 weekday trips, servicing 164 rail stations, 61 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops. Little of that activity was evident on Tuesday, however. Instead, transit crews had begun an extensive damage review. “With the break of daylight, NJ TRANSIT began to inspect and assess the full extent of the damage," …

•  54 Comments
• Photos (1)

NJ Transit Shutdown Preparations Underway

Hurricane Sandy may cause a system-wide stoppage on Monday.

In response to the increasing dire forecast surrounding Hurricane Sandy, the Christie Administration announced that preparations have begun for the potential shutdown of NJ Transit bus, rail, light rail and Access Link service, effective Monday.  “The safety of our customers, employees and the public-at-large is paramount,” said NJ Transit Board Chairman and New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson. “By beginning this important process, NJ Transit will be better able to support the state’s response to Hurricane Sandy by freeing up buses or other resources that may be needed for hurricane relief.” The systematic shutdown of NJ Transit service would require a minimum of 12 hours to complete. The process requires the…

•  16 Comments
• Photos (1)

No Schedule Changes for South Orange, Says NJ Transit

A spokesman for the agency today released a reply to unhappy commuters

The evening commuter train schedule will not change, according to a NJ Transit official. Paul Wyckoff, spokesman for the agency, today released a letter addressed to local resident Scott Greenstone, author of a petition, and to Village President Alex Torpey. The letter reads (in full): Village President Torpey and Scott, As you know, we added a ninth car to the 6:19 beginning last night to ease overcrowding, particularly between Penn NY and Secaucus.  The feedback we’ve gotten from customers is that this helped ease the congestion on board the train. However, people are reporting that the train is running late, which adds to the total time of the trip and to the hour at which the train reaches South Orange. I’ve also received concerns …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)