If you were to improve New Jersey Transit how would you do it?

[553 Bridgeton]

ok but I disagree with the deadheading part if a 553X is created instead of DH let it just be 553X in reverse so how frequent do you believe the 553 and an 553X variant should be?? how frequent should 552 be?? is 552 similar in crowding or is its service adequate?? For each time period how often should 553 run?? 4AM to 8AM:______; 8AM to 11AM_______ 11AM to 1 or 2 PM________; 3PM to 8PM______; 8PM to midnight__________ and midnight to 4AM ???? OK I had a higher up in NJT ask me about a service modding proposal but I also want to learn about service levels on certain lines. I actually have a SJ one in the proposal a new route to wilmington from AC is created with a variant through landis ave like a 553X but if 553 itself can enhance then that variant I made wont be needed

 

The dh would only be for the 553X. Not all 553Xs would dh. The 553X would only be running from Millville to Vineland Transportation Center Local then express to AC. Its an hour and few mins from Millville to AC. The 553X would be an allday route running from 6AM to 9PM in both directions running every 20mins.

 

The dh would be part of the run. Some runs have dhs sch. into them. The 553 Local would continue to run every 30 mins as it does now and still have its peak service as it does now. All 553 Locals would serve Cumberland County College and South Jersey Hosp. The 553X would improve ontime 553L service

 

The 552 gets ridership but the majority in the summer. Service is good as is.

[SirJokaPlaya]

ok but I disagree with the deadheading part if a 553X is created instead of DH let it just be 553X in reverse so how frequent do you believe the 553 and an 553X variant should be?? how frequent should 552 be?? is 552 similar in crowding or is its service adequate?? For each time period how often should 553 run?? 4AM to 8AM:______; 8AM to 11AM_______ 11AM to 1 or 2 PM________; 3PM to 8PM______; 8PM to midnight__________ and midnight to 4AM ???? OK I had a higher up in NJT ask me about a service modding proposal but I also want to learn about service levels on certain lines. I actually have a SJ one in the proposal a new route to wilmington from AC is created with a variant through landis ave like a 553X but if 553 itself can enhance then that variant I made wont be needed

 

QJT, if there wasn't any DH's, how you think some bus schedules would remain the way they are? That's how MAJORITY of the NORTHERN division works, with Deadheads. I can GUARANTEE you that 90% of all the NYC lines have deadheads. I know personally that the 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 161, 163, 165, 166, 167, 168, 190-199, 320 have deadheads. All because if all the bus did the entire route from NY express and go back locally to NY, there would be overcrowding issues and time issues. Thus, buses express to a certain point, then deadhead empty back to the PABT. What I'm suggesting with the overcrowding is have SOME, not all, but SOME buses deadhead from Mileville or Vineland back to Atlantic City to keep the flow of people going have more trips available to the people that need at locations when it's needed. 553, you're understanding what I'm talking about, right? This would HELP, not HURT people.

[qjtransitmaster]

QJT, if there wasn't any DH's, how you think some bus schedules would remain the way they are? That's how MAJORITY of the NORTHERN division works, with Deadheads. I can GUARANTEE you that 90% of all the NYC lines have deadheads. I know personally that the 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 128, 129, 161, 163, 165, 166, 167, 168, 190-199, 320 have deadheads. All because if all the bus did the entire route from NY express and go back locally to NY, there would be overcrowding issues and time issues. Thus, buses express to a certain point, then deadhead empty back to the PABT. What I'm suggesting with the overcrowding is have SOME, not all, but SOME buses deadhead from Mileville or Vineland back to Atlantic City to keep the flow of people going have more trips available to the people that need at locations when it's needed. 553, you're understanding what I'm talking about, right? This would HELP, not HURT people.

 

You did not read my post carefully I said the bus returns as a reverse EXPRESS NOT LOCAL!!!!! What I meant to say was convert DH runs to EXPRESS trips meaning NON-STOP RUNS. The bus wont go back locally it would go back EXPRESS TO NY. The way I say 553 returns to AC EXPRESS SUPER EXPRESS. Therefore DH runs are replaced with SUPER EXPRESS RUNS WITH SIMILAR SPEED TO DH RUNS EXCEPT THEY BECOME REVENUE SERVICE. In my plan for 553 the DH's are actually no longer nessesary thanks to a new express route that will interline with 553 at AC. Plus the DH runs become EXPRESS limited stop runs. So they can become runs revenue but run faster to AC and help with overcrowding without DH. The full statewide plan I outlined creates 4 new trunk routes with branches. The big routes 553, 126 and 320 and 25 become trunk routes and extend with branches. Also the 608 and 74 become trunk lines also. The 608 becomes a cross type route to AC. And a new line is created designed to shift buses from route to route or major travel points to make DH almost unnessesary. Several routes are merged or eliminated due to duplication to create a regional system of express service throughout the state. Also many shuttles county based get merged. Some lines enhance to support others.

[qjtransitmaster]

The dh would only be for the 553X. Not all 553Xs would dh. The 553X would only be running from Millville to Vineland Transportation Center Local then express to AC. Its an hour and few mins from Millville to AC. The 553X would be an allday route running from 6AM to 9PM in both directions running every 20mins.

 

The dh would be part of the run. Some runs have dhs sch. into them. The 553 Local would continue to run every 30 mins as it does now and still have its peak service as it does now. All 553 Locals would serve Cumberland County College and South Jersey Hosp. The 553X would improve ontime 553L service

 

The 552 gets ridership but the majority in the summer. Service is good as is.

 

That variant will be able to absorb the family shelter routing as that rte 552 the road not the bus is a shortcut. interesting the landis ave shuttle can be absorbed into 553X I would extend it further to salem with 3 parts after bridgeton each with different routing after bridgeton only. Several trips will interline with enhanced rtes and a new rte I carved from an existing local turned regional making the structure similar to philly in AC. If 553 is real bad at 2 am with crowding then isn't 6am to 9pm a little inadequite??

[553 Bridgeton]

County Route 552 is a shortcut for DHs. The Family Shelter only has 6 buses. 3 am trips and 3 pm trips. There is no need for it to run more then that. The 553X would go to 10th n Main or 2nd n Vine Street in Millville. I do hear ppl talking about a Salem Bridgeton route however there is no serious demand for it and it would be a waste of time. The peeps now just take the 313 408 or 410 to Woodbury(410) 408(Westville) 313(Camden) and xfer to a southbound 401.

 

 

 

@SirJoka I got ya. Thats actually the way I explained it to some higher ups and that would keep service moving at a steady pace.

[SirJokaPlaya]

Thanks, 553. A STEADY PACE. There's not need for a SUPER EXPRESS to AC if it 's not needed. Just Deadhead back to AC. Not every trip needs to be a revenue run. To me, there's more need of buses leaving AC than getting to there.

[qjtransitmaster]

County Route 552 is a shortcut for DHs. The Family Shelter only has 6 buses. 3 am trips and 3 pm trips. There is no need for it to run more then that. The 553X would go to 10th n Main or 2nd n Vine Street in Millville. I do hear ppl talking about a Salem Bridgeton route however there is no serious demand for it and it would be a waste of time. The peeps now just take the 313 408 or 410 to Woodbury(410) 408(Westville) 313(Camden) and xfer to a southbound 401.

 

 

 

@SirJoka I got ya. Thats actually the way I explained it to some higher ups and that would keep service moving at a steady pace.

 

Actually thats more of an indirect enhancement. The intention is to make service faster enhancing service to the shelter is only a byproduct of 553X and nothing more just converting DHs to revenue without slowing them down with all the stops cause they use county road 552 to take a faster route to AC cause its more than 3 trips taking the shortcut its an indirect service enhancement but that isnt the real goal here. Plus a salem bridgeton route alone wont work but as a byproduct of 553 it would allow interlining opportunity with 401/402 and with the new express route in my proposal that new line would replace 468 and former 423 on one of the branches. The route is carved out of 505. But like how philly routes enter as one line but leave as another the same rule would apply to the new route as it will enter AC as one branch then leave out on another branch of the same route. The family shelter needs no enhancement but an express version of 553 would enhance service indirectly but with a different main purpose.

[qjtransitmaster]

Thanks, 553. A STEADY PACE. There's not need for a SUPER EXPRESS to AC if it 's not needed. Just Deadhead back to AC. Not every trip needs to be a revenue run. To me, there's more need of buses leaving AC than getting to there.

 

super express is similar to steady pace as they both travel at the same speed so being a revenue run makes the total run cheaper to operate and creates more options. But due to the shortcut its an indirect enhancement and no more. The real reason for going to salem would be to exchange buses between routes and allow extra buses to 553 mostly via the shortcut. The local however is too long and an extension is harder to implement. This keeps a steady flow of buses to philly to AC to both ends of the 553 the new route I planned some will become 553 that was the reason why 553 will extend and nothing more. The super express isnt needed however it is only a relabeling of DH runs disguised as revenue runs and no more. The real goal is to get to AC then become 553. The real reason why I specified new routes to AC from trenton and wilmington all carved from busy lines. However I feel I divulged too much info. I was given weinstien's business card.

[SirJokaPlaya]

QT, trust me as a driver as well as 553 as a driver. Not every trip needs to be revenue. If anything, if it helps to get more revenue by getting a bus back to a certain location via deadhead, NJT will do it. The only thing I don't understand is why they do it in the north, which is well needed with the traffic to and from NYC, and not in the south, unless I'm missing something.

[553 Bridgeton]

At the end of the day NJTs main focus is North Jersey service.

[qjtransitmaster]

QT, trust me as a driver as well as 553 as a driver. Not every trip needs to be revenue. If anything, if it helps to get more revenue by getting a bus back to a certain location via deadhead, NJT will do it. The only thing I don't understand is why they do it in the north, which is well needed with the traffic to and from NYC, and not in the south, unless I'm missing something.

 

I guess my plan would have addressed that issue too bad I didn't get them the northern NJ plan to them the perfected one at least.

[SirJokaPlaya]

At the end of the day NJTs main focus is North Jersey service.

 

And service to Philly. Interstate fares. Ka-ching.

[qjtransitmaster]

And service to Philly. Interstate fares. Ka-ching.

 

Due to the merger nature it conferts many rtes into ka ching rtes either directly or indirectly by creating cross lines that can serve several purposes at once as well as bring ppl to philly AC and NY however only the SJ part creates an entirely new line without a merger. which is a conversion of 505/504 into a regional rte

[DaTransitMan4608]

They should make a PABT to Trenton bus route.

They should also have the 116 serve Woodbridge Center Mall

So ppl wont have to keep using the 62to go to Perth Amboy

[553 Bridgeton]

A Trenton-PABT wouldn't generate any money because of NEC.

[DaTransitMan4608]

Well i had meant that this would be used as an alternative if something happened on the NEC (ie: tresspasser incident)

[qjtransitmaster]

Well i had meant that this would be used as an alternative if something happened on the NEC (ie: tresspasser incident)

 

that is called shuttle bus and trenton transit center is a bus terminal as well

[Amtrak7]

And service to Philly. Interstate fares. Ka-ching.

 

But service to Philly is being trimmed. More and more routes are terminating at WRTC.

[qjtransitmaster]

But service to Philly is being trimmed. More and more routes are terminating at WRTC.

 

wont matter that just means less buses going every 5 seconds.

[553 Bridgeton]

But service to Philly is being trimmed. More and more routes are terminating at WRTC.

 

The plan is to let only full service routes into philly. Which is cool. There is no need to have all those routes in philly. And to mention service to/from philly is different then service to/from nyc. Njt is willing to basically hand patco those customers to improve service without having to send buses into philly. The time on the schs. for the routes going into philly is 13 mins but normally is 20 to 25mins on a good day. Most buses start another route upon entering philly. ex. some 410s turn into 401 woodbury or some 400s turn into a 410 mantua or mullica hill or bridgeton or brooklawn exp or gloucester city exp.

 

The only routes that need to enter philly is the 400 401 402 404 406 408 409 410 412 414 418

 

Before it was 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 412 418

[MasterKhem]

Ok, this is my view and opinions based on being a former driver at the garage.

 

One: NO MORE CASH FARES ON MONEY LINE BUSES! I can't say that enough. Get a damn fare box on the money lines before a driver gets killed or seriously injured. I thank God that I never had a incident where I thought my life might be at risk because I'm doing a money line, especially at nighttime. You don't know who gets on your bus. There are lines, like the 320, that drivers bring in between $1,500 to $3,000 on a straight morning shift run, and that's all due to not being in time to get a round trip ticket at the Park & Ride as well as tourists at Harmon Meadow. It'll take one person to cause a incident of great significant before NJT does anything. So, NJT needs to do it NOW before someone does get killed. Farebox, Tickets, or Passes. Otherwise, sorry Charlie. I'm 400 miles away now yet I still hear what's going on with my friends back at NJT and the last thing I need to hear is someone getting killed because some dude was robbing him for all the money he had in his pocket and change carrier.

 

Two: Personal Days for employees: Let's face it, the drivers have lives and unexpected events happen. It sucks that NJT Drivers don't have Personal days, which other companies like Academy and Coach does have. Let's have some personal days for ALL drivers, P/T and F/T.

 

Three: Eliminate the 30 hour Limit rules for P/T: This rule about P/T only having 30 hours max per week is bullshit, especially when garages overbook vacation days and now calling other drivers from different garages to work pieces. No limit for P/T Drivers. Depot Masters knows who want to work and who just want to get by. Those that want to will will profit big since they'll start to know what the F/T's make (Minus Full Rate Pay). More P/T's will be happy with their checks.

 

Four: Have NJT Officials ride buses for a week to see all bus lines that have problems with overcrowding, just so they WILL increase service. Recently, the 85 was increased on Saturdays due to overcrowding. About damn time. I'm tired of loading up 130 people for one trip, ONE WAY to Harmon Meadow, and leaving passengers behind. Then I have to go to the Garage Supervisor and explain why. Add more buses to lines that need it: 83, 84, 85, 128, 165, 166, 167, 190, 11, 28, 25, 1, 70, and I can list more but I'll have no room. And this is based on what I have seen when I drove that route or was a passenger.

 

Five: NABI's should be reprogrammed: Only announce major transfer points at all times and ONLY, and I mean ONLY announce individual bus stops ONLY when a person press the stop request button. If a person doesn't know a specific stop, they can always ask the operator. Simple. Less annoying. No more (SHUT THAT ******* COMPUTER UP, IM TRYING TO SLEEP) complaints on the bus.

 

Six: Someone mentioned that there should be a variety of different buses instead of just NABI, Nova, Flxible, and MCI: Sadly, NJT screwed itself years ago with bribery issues with another manufacturer, thus it's amazing that NABI came on board with NJT. The point is, NJT needs to make peace about what happen, accept the mistakes they did, and then other companies like Orion, DesignLine, VanHool, Prevost, Gillig, and others would at least attempt to communicate with NJT about possible new bus orders, especially with the aging MCI fleet.

 

Seven: NO MORE CNG BUSES! Forget this going natural shit, this is NJ. People really don't care. All they want is to get to and from their destination safe and fast. As long as the bus pass the emissions test by NJ's DMV, then it's all good to go.

 

Eight: NJT's presence in both Port Authority Hubs at 42nd and 178th Street is present. They need to have better facilities for the drivers when it relates to drivers using the facilities and having a place to rest for their break before going back on the road, and having better places to park the bus without getting in traffic. Also, at 42nd Street, rearrange the Gates: I can't tell how many times someone uses Gate 230 on the 127, including me, that someone nearly causes an accident, because of the tightness of that gate. That gate should be either removed or widen at least 24 inches for safe entry for all buses.

 

Nine: NJT needs to step up enforcement with local law enforcement with bus stops. I'm not comfortable dropping someone off on the street because an ******* parked their car on the stop. Tow those cars off the stop and fine those people at least $1,000. I'm a passenger too. I like to have the bus to get me on and off safely without fear of a car hitting me or read ending the bus because the bus can't get in the stop due to a moron blocking the stop.

 

Ten: Driver Guards: Again, with the money and people acting like idiots, there should be driver guards in the cockpit area for drivers to feel more safe when inside the bus. I'm sorry to say this but the last thing anyone wants to hear is another bus operator killed like the MTA driver that was killed 2 years ago at Christmas time.

 

You can't change the fares because that's Christie's fault as well as rising gas prices: Not NJT's fault.

 

319 trips out of Newark is not popular except for NJT employees. Unless there's a demand for it, it's not gonna happen.

 

I like the idea of a official bus map, but it'll be rather complex with over 300 bus routes in the system. I would say make a bus book but that'll be rather difficult and expensive since at least 10-20 lines has a new timetable every pick (3-4 months).

 

And to the decrease the interstate fare: The interstate fare also costs the fee of crossing the GWB, Lincoln, Holland, or into Philadelphia. NJT pays for that with their ezpass system. If NJT didn't add the extra 70 or 80 cents for crossing into NY/Philadelphia, NJT would have serious financial issues after the $400 mill they lost and rising fuel prices. They still gotta pay for the NABI's too as well as the new technology they're getting in, like the new WayFarer fare machines.

 

These are my views and these are from my experiences as a operator and as a passenger.

Hey, what do you mean by the bribery issues with manufacturers. A lot of our operators complain about the NABI's. My garage has all MCI's and I agree with you about the cash. The 186 can be pretty heavy and I reported into my garage one evening with about 556 dollars. That is the most I ever had, lol!!!!

[553 Bridgeton]

Hey, what do you mean by the bribery issues with manufacturers. A lot of our operators complain about the NABI's. My garage has all MCI's and I agree with you about the cash. The 186 can be pretty heavy and I reported into my garage one evening with about 556 dollars. That is the most I ever had, lol!!!!

 

Most i ever had was $645.

[DaTransitMan4608]

He's talking about some shit NJT got themselves into when they made a contract for new buses with Orion. I don't see what's to complain about the NABI's they're alright by me. I rode two within the year 2010, and one last month. they got me where I had to go.

[MasterKhem]

He's talking about some shit NJT got themselves into when they made a contract for new buses with Orion. I don't see what's to complain about the NABI's they're alright by me. I rode two within the year 2010, and one last month. they got me where I had to go.

Orion Buses drive like butter. I wish the deal went threw. I have heard fellow operators from other garages complain that the NABI's are too low in the front, meaning you have to bend over to operate certain function switches and that they are too slow acceleration wise in comparison to the MCI's. They are beautiful buses, though. I wish my garage had them.

[Amtrak7]

Most i ever had was $645.

 

How much do they give you to start your shift? Also, certain routes don't need MCI's. (320 is one)