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12 hours ago, 46Dover said:

Rumor has it there are lots of retirements so I’m hoping for something a little “humane” in spite of my impending (lack of) seniority 🤷🏽‍♂️

Well at least the 190 is not as bad as the old 75; that thing was like being stuck in an extended version of the opening credits from The Sopranos...

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5 hours ago, Suydam Street said:

Yes they do have trips on those routes not a stupid question at all what’s I find odd is the person or people making these decisions Fairview and others are in dire need of new articulated buses but they would send them to meadowlands inept if you asked me 

Ever since they promoted the 126 using articulated buses on their social media pages, Facebook and in the news outlets, plans were shifted for Meadowlands to get the first 25 or so artics. The 123, 125 and 126 will get the artics, but the artics will see service on the other lines. One has popped up on the 122 and 124.

 

Big Tree has 20805 for training, I think Fairview has two units for training. Fairview from what I heard will be the last to get them. 20802 hasn't seen service in several weeks/months. I think that's going to be the Ferry Street bus. 

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1 hour ago, R10 2952 said:

Well at least the 190 is not as bad as the old 75; that thing was like being stuck in an extended version of the opening credits from The Sopranos...

Perhaps, but how many people did the thing carry on average though (and all the way to that shopping center in Butler, no less)? They got rid of that route for a reason.....

The #190 within Paterson alone can be a drag..... At least those guagua's (and the #74) provide *some* relief.

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6 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Perhaps, but how many people did the thing carry on average though (and all the way to that shopping center in Butler, no less)? They got rid of that route for a reason.....

The #190 within Paterson alone can be a drag..... At least those guagua's (and the #74) provide *some* relief.

Yeah ridership-wise, the 75 mostly carried air.  No idea why NJT kept it around for as long as they did.  My point was more about the route itself; the idea of having to drive a bus via Butler-Bloomingdale-Pompton-Paterson-Passaic-Newark and back using local (non-highway) roads makes the 190 seem like a picnic.

The 75 was interesting from a bus-fanning perspective, I think, but from the perspective of being a potential driver of said route? Hell naw.

Edited by R10 2952
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1 hour ago, R10 2952 said:

Yeah ridership-wise, the 75 mostly carried air.  No idea why NJT kept it around for as long as they did.  My point was more about the route itself; the idea of having to drive a bus via Butler-Bloomingdale-Pompton-Paterson-Passaic-Newark and back using local (non-highway) roads makes the 190 seem like a picnic.

The 75 was interesting from a bus-fanning perspective, I think, but from the perspective of being a potential driver of said route? Hell naw.

The #190 is dreaded because the thing's a workhorse in its own right.... Sure the route isn't as long, but the loads that thing transports is something crazy.

Never took the #75, but I can't imagine it being any worse than the #313/15/17.....

 

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The 75 was a revision of the 15, which was an express version of the 11 (and the 114 under Public Service/TNJ).  I guess ridership just dwindled over the years until virtually nobody rode it and it got 86'd.  I rode it a few times in the late 90's on the afternoon trips out of Newark to Willowbrook and there were MAYBE a dozen people on it if that.  The couple times I rode an afternoon trip from Willowbrook to Newark I was the only one on board.

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On 7/26/2020 at 3:29 AM, 46Dover said:

Rumor has it there are lots of retirements so I’m hoping for something a little “humane” in spite of my impending (lack of) seniority 🤷🏽‍♂️

You’ll be fine but in the beginning, probably the first week they are going to make sure you know every leg on that 190, then the 161, 197, and 194.
 

191,192,193,195,198,199(basically the 191)are easy as hell

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On 7/26/2020 at 4:14 PM, Cait Sith said:

Ever since they promoted the 126 using articulated buses on their social media pages, Facebook and in the news outlets, plans were shifted for Meadowlands to get the first 25 or so artics. The 123, 125 and 126 will get the artics, but the artics will see service on the other lines. One has popped up on the 122 and 124.

 

Big Tree has 20805 for training, I think Fairview has two units for training. Fairview from what I heard will be the last to get them. 20802 hasn't seen service in several weeks/months. I think that's going to be the Ferry Street bus. 

This makes sense given that Fairview is likely (because we have no idea with this order anymore lol) to get the Suburbans which probably haven't even been built yet. 

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3 hours ago, Silk City Transit said:

The 75 was a revision of the 15, which was an express version of the 11 (and the 114 under Public Service/TNJ).  I guess ridership just dwindled over the years until virtually nobody rode it and it got 86'd.  I rode it a few times in the late 90's on the afternoon trips out of Newark to Willowbrook and there were MAYBE a dozen people on it if that.  The couple times I rode an afternoon trip from Willowbrook to Newark I was the only one on board.

Yeah, past Willowbrook the ridership on the 75 was even less; I guess over time the 194 simply became the go-to for people in outer Passaic County. 

When exactly did the 11 stop going past Willowbrook, anyway? It must've been before my time because I don't remember the old routing at all.

Edited by R10 2952
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On 7/24/2020 at 7:11 AM, 46Dover said:

Well it’s been awhile, due to coronavirus, the subsequent layoff and sickness.  But things are looking up for me.  Starting August 6, Lakeland’s loss will be NJ Transit’s gain as I will begin training for my new job as a bus operator out of Wayne garage

did you get assigned there or could you pick

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3 hours ago, BreeddekalbL said:

did you get assigned there or could you pick

I asked for Wayne since it was (one of) the closest garages to me (I live just under half an hour from the Water Gap).  The one that’s actually closer is the Dover garage (formerly PABCO) with the mini NABIs serving Morris County, but I prefer to drive MCIs

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You can now use the mobile app to buy single light rail tickets!

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nj.com/news/2020/07/at-last-nj-transit-riders-can-finally-buy-a-light-rail-ticket-with-a-smartphone.html%3foutputType=amp

 

You can't use the app to buy River line tickets if you have an North Jersey zip code, but that should be dealt with soon.

 

 

EDIT: If you have an NYC zip code you CANNOT buy a single ticket on the app, only monthly, just tried it 🙁

Edited by trainfan22
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On 7/25/2020 at 12:32 AM, Cait Sith said:

A part of me thought you'd be a Howell guy, have fun with the Paterson crowd😆

As much as I’d like to try my hand with Howell, I live near the Water Gap so that’s a no 😄😄😄

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Well, after a few months,  NJ Transit started letting people board the front door and accepting cash fares today.

 

From this link on the website: https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/cash-fares-and-front-door-boarding-resume-nj-transit-buses-august-3rd

 

And it was on the news.

 

There was people complaining and I noticed a few people staying behind once they caught on that they had to pay and some was still trying to get on from the back only to stay once they noticed.

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On 8/3/2020 at 1:43 PM, Silver Script said:

Well, after a few months,  NJ Transit started letting people board the front door and accepting cash fares today.

 

From this link on the website: https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/cash-fares-and-front-door-boarding-resume-nj-transit-buses-august-3rd

 

And it was on the news.

 

There was people complaining and I noticed a few people staying behind once they caught on that they had to pay and some was still trying to get on from the back only to stay once they noticed.

I can say it eliminated the homeless population very quick. 4-5mo on one ticket and no fares and now want to complain, cry me a River. It’s no mercy out here.

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An observation I’ve made about the 161 leaving Paterson:

You could give a 4 year old a (blank) piece of paper and a crayon and he/she could scribble the exact path the 161 has to negotiate to get from one side of Market St to the other around I-80.

Edited by 46Dover
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Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but does anyone know why the 128 uses buses from Howell? It just seems weird for a relatively short route out of PABT to use buses from a garage 60 miles away. Maybe Howell buses running to PABT (e.g. 139) switch to 128 after arriving at PABT? Or maybe they want CNG buses on the 128? Always wondered this as none of the other routes local to the Hudson county area use buses from Howell.

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16 minutes ago, JLiu15 said:

Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but does anyone know why the 128 uses buses from Howell? It just seems weird for a relatively short route out of PABT to use buses from a garage 60 miles away. Maybe Howell buses running to PABT (e.g. 139) switch to 128 after arriving at PABT? Or maybe they want CNG buses on the 128? Always wondered this as none of the other routes local to the Hudson county area use buses from Howell.

That Blvd East corridor is heavy. In addition to the 128, you got the 165/166/168 there and (pre-pandemic of course) you still would have full buses during peak periods. They need any type of capacity they can get their hands on for that line, Howell has 45' MCIs, and the line is basically a hop and skip from the Port. 

Edited by DaTransitMan4608
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46 minutes ago, JLiu15 said:

Not sure if this has been answered anywhere but does anyone know why the 128 uses buses from Howell? It just seems weird for a relatively short route out of PABT to use buses from a garage 60 miles away. Maybe Howell buses running to PABT (e.g. 139) switch to 128 after arriving at PABT? Or maybe they want CNG buses on the 128? Always wondered this as none of the other routes local to the Hudson county area use buses from Howell.

Well the 128 is a busy bus line so it does need the help, and it wouldn’t make sense for the 130-9 routes to just come up from south jersey to turn around and go back. So while they’re up in the NYC area they go and help on the 128. For example, the AM rush, a bus would come into PABT on the 139, deadhead to the start of the 128 and help on the 128. Then go back to the garage or Weehawken lot. (Correct me if I’m wrong)

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