N.J. Transit Strike Travel Plan For Mendham, Chester Commuters

CHESTER, N.J. – Mass transit to and from New York City is often the easiest way to commute for northwest and north Jersey travelers.

But if more than 4,000 union workers decide to strike March 13 due to unsettled contract negotiations, commuters who use the New Jersey Transit rails are going to find themselves in a lurch.

So, what are Morris & Essex Line and Gladstone Line commuters going to do in the event of a work stoppage? Here’s the contingency plan, which includes bus service only into and out of New York City, as laid out by New Jersey Transit officials.

Regional Park-Ride Service
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.

• 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

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.

Enhanced NJ TRANSIT New York Bus Service
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

The Gladstone line makes a total of 23 stops, including its first pickup in Gladstone, before stopping in Hoboken for passengers to take the PATH into Manhattan.

The Morris & Essex Line picks up riders at 25 locations between its first stop – Hackettstown – and its last stop at Secaucus Junction before landing at New York Penn Station.

New Jersey Transit officials project more than 10,000 more cars per hour on New Jersey’s roadways during peak times if there is indeed a work stoppage, which will turn into more than 20-mile backups at the Hudson River Crossings, including the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln and Holland Tunnels.

Officials also said the contingency plan will only allow for service to about 40-percent of its average daily customer base in to and out of New York City, which is about 105,000 riders. Commuters in Morris and Bergen counties would be impacted most in the event of a stoppage, NJT officials said.