Touring three states every morning

[Trainspotter]

Touring three states every morning

By Justin Rocket Silverman, amNewYork Staff Writer

 

 

Human resources manager Carin Dupuis is no stranger to train transfers--she does it four times a day, among three transit systems and across three states.

 

"The absolute worst part of the commute is being on a New York City subway," she said during a recent morning commute. "It's so hot and crowded. Often there isn't even a place to stand, let alone to sit."

 

A resident of Stamford, Conn., Dupuis rises each workday at 5:45 am. After dropping her daughter off at school by 7, she boards a 7:21 Metro-North train from Stamford to Grand Central Terminal. Arriving at 8:25 a.m., she makes her way through the heard of rush-hour commuters to the Nos. 4 or 5 subway trains for the ride downtown to Fulton Street.

 

Although it's an express, the packed train sometimes moves at a snail's pace, taking as long as 40 minutes to get though the three express stops to Fulton. Once she arrives, this Extreme Commuter goes above ground for a short walk over to Church Street to the World Trade Center station, where she takes the PATH train one stop to Jersey City and her job at Ana-Data Consulting, a financial technology firm.

 

"The good thing about the PATH is that I can take any train," she said, nearing the end of her commute. "My stop is Exchange Place, and it's the first stop no matter which train I take."

 

Dupuis is looking forward to the eventual completion of the Fulton Street Transit Center, which will allow her to skip the walk over to Church Street and connect directly to the PATH system.

 

"That means I'll be able to go all the way from Connecticut to Jersey without going above ground at all," she said.

 

Out of the three train systems she rides daily, Dupuis says she prefers the PATH for the frequency of its trains and its cleanliness.

 

Although she also realizes that part of what makes the PATH ride to Jersey in the morning, and back to Manhattan at night, so pleasant, is that it is the only part of her trip that is a reverse commute.

 

Know someone with a complicated, treacherous, or even just long commute? Tell us about them at jsilverman@am-ny.com

 

Story & Video: amNY - December 3, 2007

[Eastman346]

Now thats an extreme commute. I would never ever.

[Harry]

That's too much of a commute for me. I'd rather commute on a longer trip on two different systems. But hey if the money is right you never knew. Money talks.

[Brighton Local]

She represents the "Tri-State" Area lol. Long commute, however, I wouldve thought that, she would have enjoyed Metro North the most because of the more comfortable rail cars, rather than Path. On the flip side of the coin, i can see why PATH to her is the best, like it states, the reverse commute.

[Pablo M 201]

She represents the "Tri-State" Area lol. Long commute, however, I wouldve thought that, she would have enjoyed Metro North the most because of the more comfortable rail cars, rather than Path. On the flip side of the coin, i can see why PATH to her is the best, like it states, the reverse commute.

And there aren't as many delays on PATH as on MNRR or the subway.

 

But man thats quite a commute. Thats a commute I wouldn't mind taking actually. And thing is about PATH, some trains actually get lots of ppl from NY going into NJ. Exchange Place is a major point and ppl heading out to Newark for the airport.

[DOB2RTO]

Pelham Bay Dave knows about that.

[BMT4Life]

Brave woman.

[sebbieprops]

That's quite a commute. I know I wouldn't like that. I might do it, though, if the pay was worth it.

[Pelham Bay Dave]

Yeah thats true I do know all too well but at least its mostly driving exept on Thursdays you all going to be like what the hell so here it goes. Thursday I work out of ENY Brooklyn and Friday I start at Met and finish at CIY. I stay in the City on Thursday night so to set it up Thursdays I have a super Long Commute.

I leave my House in Stroudsburg PA. I take RT 80 to RT 280 then the NJ Turnpike to the Goethals Bridge then the SI Expwy to the Verrazano BR. Then the Belt Pkwy to Coney Island YD. Then walk over to AV X take the Uptown F train to Jay Street then Downtown A/C train to Bway Jct. Then walk or take J Train to Alabama Av. This whole process take 3 HRS.

[Harry]

I leave my House in Stroudsburg PA. I take RT 80 to RT 280 then the NJ Turnpike to the Goethals Bridge then the SI Expwy to the Verrazano BR. Then the Belt Pkwy to Coney Island YD. Then walk over to AV X take the Uptown F train to Jay Street then Downtown A/C train to Bway Jct. Then walk or take J Train to Alabama Av. This whole process take 3 HRS.

 

I was going to say why drive to ENY and park there but then I'm guessing your shift ends at CIY and that wouldn't make sense.

 

I knew you had a long commute but I didn't take into effect the subway trip after all that driving.

[Brighton Local]

Yeah thats true I do know all too well but at least its mostly driving exept on Thursdays you all going to be like what the hell so here it goes. Thursday I work out of ENY Brooklyn and Friday I start at Met and finish at CIY. I stay in the City on Thursday night so to set it up Thursdays I have a super Long Commute.

I leave my House in Stroudsburg PA. I take RT 80 to RT 280 then the NJ Turnpike to the Goethals Bridge then the SI Expwy to the Verrazano BR. Then the Belt Pkwy to Coney Island YD. Then walk over to AV X take the Uptown F train to Jay Street then Downtown A/C train to Bway Jct. Then walk or take J Train to Alabama Av. This whole process take 3 HRS.

 

I hope you get enough sleep over the weekend

[Pelham Bay Dave]

Got 2 wks left of that. Its going to get alittle better next time around I'll drive to 168 St/Bway and take the train to 14/8.

[Pelham Bay Dave]

My Wkend always goes fast but Thursdays is my Monday.

[BMT4Life]

Yeah thats true I do know all too well but at least its mostly driving exept on Thursdays you all going to be like what the hell so here it goes. Thursday I work out of ENY Brooklyn and Friday I start at Met and finish at CIY. I stay in the City on Thursday night so to set it up Thursdays I have a super Long Commute.

I leave my House in Stroudsburg PA. I take RT 80 to RT 280 then the NJ Turnpike to the Goethals Bridge then the SI Expwy to the Verrazano BR. Then the Belt Pkwy to Coney Island YD. Then walk over to AV X take the Uptown F train to Jay Street then Downtown A/C train to Bway Jct. Then walk or take J Train to Alabama Av. This whole process take 3 HRS.

 

Now thats an extreme commute. They should feature you on one of their stories.

[DOB2RTO]

My Wkend always goes fast but Thursdays is my Monday.

 

Same here buddy.

 

My weekends is relaxing cause I work the Bx21 Saturdays (customers don't bother you at all along Morris Park Ave, if you get any customers at all over on that side of the line, overnight), and Sundays one less round trip on the Bx19. My Fridays (Monday) I work like a slave. I've found myself humming the blues behind the wheel.