NJT Bus Route 123 to be extended to Christ Hospital

[Pablo M 201]

THE BUS COMES BACK

Service for Palisade Ave.

 

Thursday, February 14, 2008

 

By AMY SARA CLARK

JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

 

Residents in the Heights will soon have their Palisade Avenue bus back, sort of.

 

NJ Transit's No. 123, which connects Union City with Port Authority, will soon continue an extra 1.1 miles down Palisade Avenue to Christ Hospital, officials announced.

 

Heights residents have been advocating for a return of Palisade Avenue bus service since Red & Tan/Coach U.S.A. rerouted its 99S to Central Avenue in late August.

 

The extended route will begin April 5 and continue until at least Jan. 1, 2009.

 

NJ Transit said if there are "enough" riders taking advantage of the extended route, it would continue indefinitely, said Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, who made the announcement at the Riverview Neighborhood Association's monthly meeting Tuesday night.

 

The meeting was attended by more than 100 residents, as well as Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, state Sen. Nicholas Sacco and City Council members Bill Gaughan and Steven Fulop.

 

Prieto could not say exactly how many riders constitute "enough," but urged residents to give up their jitney habit.

 

"You have to make sure that if we get it for you, you use it," agreed Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.

 

But some residents said they are worried that if they stop using jitneys, causing the independent vans to desert the neighborhood, and then NJ Transit changes the route back, it will leave them with no transportation.

 

Asked about that issue yesterday, Healy said that he understands the dilemma and would himself be tempted to use jitneys if he were waiting for a bus. But he said, "If (Heights residents) really want the bus service, we would advise them to try to patronize the bus. They're going to have to make a choice."

 

Susan Higgins, who took the 99S to her job as a fashion designer in Manhattan, said she'd be willing to forgo the jitney for the new 123.

 

"It sounds feasible," she said, "as long as (the 123) comes on time."

 

Many residents said they're pleased to have NJ Transit run the line instead of Red & Tan.

 

"For me it's good news. I'm hoping it will be more frequent," said Nicole Trytell, who commutes to Manhattan for her job in advertising. "I used to use the 99S and it didn't come on time at all."

 

http://www.nj.com/jjournal/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1202973021229110.xml&coll=3

 

This is great to hear. It shows the city, county, and residents will not take R&T's crap anymore and take actions. Just hope people take advantage of this change and use this bus line more.

[EE Broadway Local]

Cool! How is the #123 doing and is there a Jersey City or Jersey City/Union City fare for this route to PABT? Wow! The #84, 86 and 123 on Palisade Avenue in the Heights.

[Pablo M 201]

Cool! How is the #123 doing and is there a Jersey City or Jersey City/Union City fare for this route to PABT? Wow! The #84, 86 and 123 on Palisade Avenue in the Heights.

Well, the service starts in a month. From what I hear people do take the 123. And theres actually people that take the 84/86 or a jitney to Congress and take the 123 from there when the 10/99S was pulled away from Palisade Avenue. But as for the fare, from Jersey City to NY PABT, it would be a zone 3 fare which comes out to $3.15 or something close to that. If you pick up the 123 from Union City it would be zone 2 fare which is $2.55 to PABT.